Lessons in Humility
by Nature9000
Summary: Having risen to fame, Tori finds her life and career in shambles after being hit by scandal. She returns to her hometown hoping to pick up where she left off, but finds that returning to normal life is not so easy, and acceptance much harder to come by, by even those who had once been so close. All she can do is mask the pain and hope to find happiness again, if at all possible.
1. Turning Tables

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This tale will be in Tori's perspective, however this first chapter serves as a precursor and an "introduction" of sorts to the timeline and characters around her. For intents of this story and understanding, this chapter is in Trina's perspective around the time that Tori will show up. I got inspired by this idea while at work with my new career that I love with the school district.

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Chapter 1 (Turning Tables)

Trina studied herself in the restroom mirror, sighing heavily as she washed her hands and arms. The 'dirty' part of her job was over, so now she could get back to the fun part of it. Of course, she was distracted by the lights needing to be replaced, so she'd have to get to those soon enough.

Some classes were running late, so students were still running about in the school. It made things a little more difficult since she had to watch out for them. As she adjusted the badge she wore like a badge of honor, her picture and the name reflected the lights above her.

The District had been good to her. After a long run of bad luck and serious downfalls, she finally had a career that was worth something. The job carried two weeks of vacation time, which rolled over along with the five days of personal leave and five days of sick leave. She had weekends and holidays off, though she still had to work in the summer.

It came with friends as well, people whom she never expected to be friends with. Granted, those came from teachers who were appreciative of her work.

She pulled her long hair back into a ponytail, not wanting to have it constantly falling into her face or getting into any of the chemicals she worked with, then went to adjust her uniform that proudly boasted her school district on the left chest. The uniform was a light tan button up shirt that she tucked into a pair of jeans.

As she stepped out of the restroom, she pushed the door open slowly and paused when she heard a child's laugh. With a smile she poked her head out and watched as two children whizzed past her. "Don't run in the hall!" Called a teacher.

She turned her eyes towards the teacher, an exasperated woman with a light complexion and dark hair. The woman smiled at her and began moving towards her, her long black skirt caressing the floor. "Sometimes these kids are a handful, Trina." Trina chuckled softly and looked in the direction of the first graders, now drinking from the water fountains. "It was movie night in my class today."

The woman's face turned apologetic and Trina turned to her, knowing what this meant. "Let me guess, snacks all over the floor and paper everywhere?"

"I'm sorry."

"Hey, that's what I'm here for." Trina picked up the vacuum canister and began to attach it to her back. As she fastened the strap, she looked up at the teacher with a soft gaze. "Honestly, vacuuming is the most peaceful part of the job, Jade." Jade chuckled softly, moving her hands towards her waist and nodding.

"We're glad to have you, Trina. You know, the other custodian here does a decent job, but she doesn't seem to put in as much effort into it."

"You know I have my pride." The job entailed several tasks which she loved, tasks that were who she was. She'd never discovered until some time ago that there was decent opportunity out there for people that enjoyed fixing things or cleaning things up. It had been a secret love of hers so long ago, whenever something broke down she wanted to be there to fix it; and whenever there was something out of place or a mess nearby, she couldn't sit still until it was clean.

"Yeah I know." Jade dropped her arms and looked past her for a moment. "I said no running in the halls!" Trina turned around and watched as the two first graders stopped and began to walk. With a sigh, Jade reached up to her forehead and stroked it. "Remind me never to give my students sugary snacks coupled with sugary drinks."

"Some lessons we learn the hard way."

"Tell me about it." Jade looked to the trolley full of cleaning supplies and pointed to Nature's Miracle. "You might need that cleaner for some spots in there. They had candy." She'd get to Jade's room when she got a chance, fortunately for Jade, her classroom was on the section being worked today.

After a second, she caught Jade eyeballing the vacuum cleaner and stroking her chin. The girl's brow furrowed and she eventually shook her head. "How on earth do you manage to carry that on your back? It must be heavy."

"It's not horrible, but I will admit some schools have crappy ones that do weigh you down. I empty this thing out every night…plus, you carry this thing around enough times, you start to get stronger and more used to it." Jade closed her hand beneath her chin and started to nod.

As she grabbed the plug-in for the long extension cord trailing from the machine, she began walking towards the classrooms. Jade walked with her, carrying the cord as it trailed behind her. "So, how are your studies going anyway, Trina? Pretty good?"

"Getting there." She already had a bachelor's degree, but it was in a subject that her heart wasn't really with. At this point, she was in the maintenance side of the school district, and studying to get a certification in one of the most lucrative trades they had. "HVAC is a hard one to learn, especially when you work evenings and just want to sleep during the day."

Jade laughed. "I hear that. Twelve years ago, I would have thought you were lying when you said you wanted to go into that."

"Yeah, I never wanted people to think I was stranger than they already did by admitting I liked that kind of work." Trina stopped outside Jade's classroom door and turned to her with a slight shrug. "You got to admit, back then I really didn't know what I wanted to do with my life or where I was going."

"You did have a tendency to push for the wrong things. I know I was always mean about it, I could have been a better friend back then. Maybe even helped you figure things out, you certainly aren't the only woman in the world that loves working with her hands and isn't afraid to get dirty."

"Well, in your defense, you were going through some shit back then." Trina smirked and Jade let out a heavy sigh.

"Quit excusing bad behavior and using my circumstances in life as a means of explaining away horrible actions. I tell my children all the time, they won't get anywhere in life if they treat other kids with disrespect or by bullying others. I was a bully then, and you know I was."

"You had your reasons."

Jade wagged a finger at her. "Stop that, I said. There is no excuse to treat someone so horribly." The woman dropped her hand and bowed her chin a bit. "I learned that the hard way. Good thing Beck stayed by my side." Jade wrapped her arms around her waist and looked away. Trina felt a tension build in her chest and she reached out, gently placing a hand onto Jade's shoulder.

"It's alright, Jade." Trina looked around as Jade dropped her shoulders. "Where is Beck, anyway? Usually once school lets out, he comes straight for you." There were exceptions, like his class taking a bit longer than usual.

"I think he's cleaning up a bit. He's got his students working on an upcoming school play." Jade's face brightened up and Trina was happy to see the brightness return to her gaze. "He's got them doing Shakespeare, I believe he said he was going to do Hamlet. He wants us to come see rehearsals sometime, and he's also trying to get old Mr. Sikowitz to stop in."

"Really? Again?" When Beck became a drama teacher for the elementary school, he'd always been trying to impress his old mentor. He seemed to have forgotten the cardinal rule of Mr. Sikowitz's class-if you have to ask for approval, you're not doing well enough; and strangely enough, Mr. Sikowitz never stopped in. "Maybe he'll have more luck this time."

"Maybe. No one's perfect, he still blames himself for that fiasco back in the day." Jade rolled her eyes. "He still hasn't gotten around to understanding the faulty wiring underneath the stage wasn't his fault."

Remembering properly what had taken place involved a deal of recollection because she hadn't been there herself. Apparently, Beck had been put in charge of the final school play of their graduation year, and went to perform it for Mr. Sikowitz. Mr. Sikowitz brought his family and sat in the front row, then tragedy struck.

A fire broke out from behind the stage, and that day the sprinkler system was being repaired, so they weren't operational. The fire spread quickly, causing the beams of an old stage to collapse. The curtains fell among the crowd, and flames erupted in the audience. Several people were injured, including Mr. Sikowitz; but a few didn't make it out alive, which included some members of the esteemed teacher's family.

He retired soon after, and to Trina's knowledge, never stepped foot in another school production, much less another school. The fire was so horrific they had to close Hollywood Arts for repair; and now, twelve years later, the school still hadn't been reopened.

"If workers hadn't shut off the pipes, the fire wouldn't have spread as quickly or fast as it did." Trina lowered the vacuum hose and furrowed her brow at Jade. "I never understood why he blames himself, that was an old auditorium and an old stage. Even the wiring was old. Everyone knew it was a deathtrap in waiting, but they kept carrying on. Even Sinjin once said he never wanted to go near it with a ten foot pole; and he worked for the school."

"I know."

Ironically, it was around that point of time that Trina started to become friends with Beck and Jade. The reason was due more to the guilt Beck felt, as she'd been dating one of the members of Sikowitz's family at the time, and that person did not survive. She never held Beck as responsible, and it felt as though she had to tell him that a million times.

"Anyway, Jade, my sister's coming to town." Jade raised her eyebrows and moved her hands to her waist. It had been a long time since anyone heard from Tori, which amazed the hell out of them. "I thought, maybe, we could all get together and give her a proper introduction?"

"I don't know. Beck and I are down for that, but the others might be a little iffy on the reunion."

"Why?" Trina laughed and crossed her arms, standing still as the hose attached to the vacuum tugged her back. "You were all her best friends."

"And exactly when was the last time she came to visit you or your parents? Hm?" Trina frowned and responded with a shrug.

"Doesn't much matter, I mean…She says she doesn't want to expose us to that life, and that she just wants us to have private lives."

"Uh huh." Jade's gaze flattened and her lips twisted a bit, a sign of her skepticism. "More like she's just staying away. I mean what, she's like a big time star now." Jade stretched herself to look taller and put on a smirk while walking on her toes. "Too above her lowly unimportant family members to talk to them, too good for the people she called friends."

"Oh Jade, I'm sure it's not like that."

Jade paused and turned back to her, gently wagging a finger in the air. "No, you were always that way. Even back then, every insult she hurled your way and every bad thing she said behind your back, you always tried to see the good in her. She was a good person back then, but you always let her talk trash, you always let her bully you. It was like, she could say anything she wanted and do whatever she wanted, and had no consequence for it."

Trina blinked, taken aback by Jade's words. She stammered a bit and cleared her throat. "Well, I mean, she-"

"Was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, sheltered by your parents and raised like every other kid out there at the time to think she could have everything she wanted on a silver platter and do whatever she liked without consequence."

"Aren't you being a little bit hard on her right now?"

"Not as hard as the others will be, she dropped us like a hot potato the minute she got 'discovered'."

"She just got busy."

"There you go again, excusing bad behavior." Jade took a deep breath while Trina cast her gaze downwards. After a minute, her friend sighed and slowly shook her head. "Sorry. You know Beck and I will be there, it _will_ be nice to reconnect. I'm just being bitter." For Jade, it hurt the most when Tori left. There came a time when Jade truly needed her, truly needed a friend, and Tori turned her away.

This was during their college years, when Tori was discovered. Tori could be a bit on the diva side, but she didn't start out that way. At least, Trina didn't think so. From what she could tell, the change was a slow progression, where Tori eventually tapered off and stopped contacting her friends and family. She was a pop star now, granted not as famous as some, but still well known.

"Give her a chance, Jade. I think it'll be fine."

"Like I said…" Jade turned around and waved her hand in the air. "Beck and I will be there, but I make no promises of good behavior." Trina sighed and smiled as she watched Jade walk off. In the distance, she saw Beck making his way through the hall, tall and now with a beard to match his shaggy brown hair. He hugged his wife and paused to wave at Trina. Jade waved as well before walking off with him.

Turning back to Jade's classroom, Trina slowly opened the door. It wasn't as chaotic inside as Jade made it sound like, but she could see hard candies and chocolate wrappers strewn about on the floor and under the desks. Paper too large for the long, skinny nozzle on the end of the hose was also spotted in several places.

"Okay, here goes." Jade's room wasn't usually a mess like this, mostly because Jade taught literature and English. Jade herself was an author, though not 'best-selling', she wrote as a means of escape and loved to show off her novels to everyone around her. Even her students got to read her work from time to time, the lighter works.

That weekend, Trina gathered her friends at the usual table outside their favorite coffee shop. Robbie sipped on his coffee, while Andre and Cat shuffled through some paperwork. They were all educators, oddly enough, though Cat was the only one not working with the school district. She was a voice and dance instructor for a small studio she started some years back. She'd grown to be one of the most popular in the area and was doing well for herself.

Now married to Robbie, he was okay not being the breadwinner. Proud of his wife, he taught small arts and craft class in a junior high school.

Andre had possibly grown to be the most successful of the group. He was a high school football coach and piano instructor. He also wrote his own pieces and played in local venues when he had time. Trina loved going to his gigs, and the others were always present as well no matter what the occasion. He was a bit of a local celebrity, and the closest thing to a celebrity that any of them cared to be.

"So how do your parents feel about it?" Robbie inquired. He was talking about Tori coming to visit. They were on the fence, it seemed like, happy to see the daughter they hadn't heard from since she became famous; and at the same time, they didn't know how to feel about the visit. "I mean, she practically forgot them too, didn't she?"

"It's not like that, Robbie."

"No? Deciding she wanted to 'spare' you guys rather than share you with the world?" Robbie shrugged. "What kind of person rises to stardom and doesn't share her family with everyone? It's like she's fucking embarrassed of you guys or something." Trina ran a hand over her neck and started to sink into her chair. Part of her agreed with him, but she still held out hope that they were wrong.

Andre shifted his gaze from the papers he was grading and scrunched his face. "I mean look at my grandmother, Trina. She's psycho, but every time I play somewhere, where is she? Right up front in the best seat possible. All eyes are on her, and I know she's proud of me. Tori should be showing you guys off, rather than hiding you from everyone. You've got to stand up for yourself and your parents, they're not getting any younger."

"True…" David and Holly were glad to have Trina living nearby. They had the house to themselves, but in recent years their health wasn't doing as well as it could be, so they had Trina to call on if ever they needed anything. "I think they're happy to have Tori coming to visit, mostly because like you say, they're not getting any younger. Dad's nowhere the horse he once was."

The engine of a vehicle grabbed Trina's attention for the moment and she turned to see a rather plain white sedan pulling up. The others focused their sights on the car and Trina held her breath once she saw Tori inside and in the driver's seat.

It was a shocking sight, and one that struck her curious. She could see what appeared to be luggage in the backseat of the vehicle, and the license plate had a dealer's insignia on it. Trina stood up as Tori shut off the car and got out. She waved, but Tori flipped her hair over her shoulder and looked around.

"Damn agent couldn't get me a ride last minute, so I had to get a rental." Tori chuckled sorely and walked towards the group as they shifted uncomfortably in their chairs. Tori turned open a bright smile at them. "Hey guys! It feels like it's been forever since I've seen ya'll!"

Trina sat back into her chair and pulled back the seat next to her. "How have you been, Tori?" Cat asked with a mild annoyed tone in her voice. "Haven't heard from you in forever."

"Ugh I know, it's been so busy." Tori laughed airily, a sound that was strange to Trina's ears. "You know, do a show here and do a show there. Go on tour everywhere. Such hard work." Trina caught the rise of Jade's eyebrow and quickly interrupted before Jade had a chance to intervene.

"So Tori, what brings you into town? Can't say I expected you to drive up in a cheap rental."

"Oh god, I wouldn't normally touch the thing, but my agent…" Tori trailed off a bit, her eyes gliding to the right. "My agent just couldn't be bothered. You know how it is, assistants that never get anything right."

"No…" Andre shook his head slowly. "No, we wouldn't know how it is." Tori looked offended for a moment, so once again Trina dove in to try and prevent a situation.

"I've missed you so much." She started to throw an arm around Tori, but her sister ducked away and her face went sour.

"You smell like chemical." Trina blinked twice and a nervous chuckle fell from her lips.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I didn't get a chance to jump in the shower this morning." Tori jerked her head back and shook herself.

"Okay, so don't touch me right now."

"Sure."

In the corner of her eyes, she saw Robbie lean in towards his wife and heard him whisper. "You think Trina would see what's going on here. Fame's got to Tori's head, and she keeps on trying." Cat shut her eyes and exhaled slowly.

"Give it time, she _is_ her sister after all. I wouldn't want to give up on my family either." Trina smiled at Cat's response and shifted her gaze to Beck and Jade. Beck's arms were crossed and he'd grown incredibly silent; but it was Jade that caught her attention most. The woman was glaring daggers at Tori, and looked ready to snap; it was a sight Trina hadn't seen in such a long time.

"So have you stopped in to see Mom and Dad yet, Tori?" Tori shuffled through her bag and shook her head. Trina tilted her head a bit, growing concerned about her sister's wellbeing. "So, where are you staying right now?"

"Oh you know." Tori pulled out a makeup kit and began to paint her lips with mocha colored lipstick. "I'm in this big glamorous hotel downtown, I've got the best room in the house." Trina hummed and started to look around their surroundings. There were no paparazzi, no fans shouting and gathering in recognition of Tori.

Tori applied some mascara with a defeated sigh. This was another oddity, because Trina knew her sister well enough to know she never applied makeup in the public eye. It was already applied for her by people who worked for her long before she went anywhere.

"So, I don't think you answered, what brings you here?"

"Just missing my family and my friends." Tori laughed airily once more and leaned in, taking Jade's hands. "Jade, it's been so long, how have you been darling?" Jade whisked her hands away and twisted to the side, folding her arms across her chest.

"I'm fine. I'm teaching now, literature." Tori frowned as Beck announced he was teaching as well, then Robbie and Cat. Before Andre could speak up, Tori was looking at them all with pity.

"Oh I'm so sorry for you guys. I know you all wanted to be discovered, now you have to do such menial work. It must be awful."

Beck's chest expanded and a bulge formed between his eyebrows. "Excuse me?" Trina leaned forward, waving her hand between Tori and the others.

"Hey, Andre's become a local artist." Tori's eyebrows shot up and she looked at Andre with eagerness. Andre puffed up with pride, grinning from ear to ear. "He's not that well-known, but most people around here are quick to recognize him."

"So, wait, he's not become national yet?" Tori pulled away and Andre suddenly looked like a balloon had burst. "Oh Andre, I'm so sorry. You'll get there…" Trina was starting to sweat. The meeting wasn't going as well as she'd hoped, but she couldn't control how tense her friends were before they came in.

Tori meant well from what she thought, but they were angry and hurt. It didn't help that Tori just insulted their livelihood, whether she meant to do so or not. "Hey Sis, I've got an amazing career started finally." Tori flashed a smile at her, raising her eyebrows. "I'm working with the school district as an auxiliary custodian."

"C-Custodian?" Tori stammered a bit and her smile started to crack into a laugh. Trina leaned back slowly, her heart starting to sink. Jade's glare grew in intensity as Tori continued to laugh. "Of all the meaningless jobs out there, you're cleaning up after little kids now? I can't believe it!"

Taken aback, Trina looked away as her sister's voice filled the air. She was beginning to grow angry herself, and was holding back from snapping at Tori. To her, the job wasn't meaningless, it had purpose. She kept the schools safe and clean for teachers and students alike, and they appreciated her.

Hell, just the other day she had a second grader present her with a drawing that had a thank you note written on it: _Thanks for keeping our school clean, Miss Vega_. It was moments like those, and every thank you from a teacher that filled her with pride and a sense of belonging. She was worth something finally, and that mattered to her.

"Hey guys, you remember back in the day when she was always trying to butt into everything?" Her friends sank back, each looking back and forth from the other while Jade continued to stare Tori down. "She had no talent, but kept going at it. Never had a talent for anything, never contributed, and now she's got the most talentless and worthless job-"

"I'm sorry," Cat interrupted, "But what exactly what purpose does your job hold?" Trina rose her head up and closed her mouth. Her eyes were stinging and she was holding back the urge to cry, so Cat speaking up was a relief. "From what we see, nothing. You have no meaning, no purpose in life. We all do."

"What?" Tori jerked back, gasping in shock. "I provide music to thousands of fans that adore me."

"Really?" Andre chuckled and his expression grew dark. "One of what? Thousands of other singers?"

Jade leaned forward, her voice menacingly low and deep. "What fans, Victoria? You're a pop singer, do you know what that means?" Tori began to shake, her hand closed over the left and she bowed her head. "That means you're adored by little preteen children that, as they grow up, they're going to throw you away like a used ejaculatory cloth." Trina coughed as her sister's eyes widened. Jade smirked cruelly and narrowed her eyes. "You're a fad. You know why they call 'em 'pop-stars'?"

"Jade," Trina warned. It was to no avail, because Jade raised a hand to her and continued her fiery glare onto Tori.

"It means you pop up, have a little burst of fame for a few years. Your residue hangs around longer than you do, because you'll soon pop like a fucking bubble and fade away. Songs will stick, but you'll fade into nothingness."

Jade rose from her seat, towering over Tori and letting her shadow fall over her. "Meanwhile…" Jade put a hand over her chest. "We teach children, we teach them critical lessons and inspire them to grow up and do great things." Tori started to shake as Jade's voice rose. People were beginning to look over and Trina wanted to disappear from the scene.

"Your sister keeps our schools clean, functional, and in tip top shape. She's one of the most appreciated people working for the school district, her job is just as important as anybody's. She has finally found purpose in doing something she loves."

"What is this?" Tori scoffed and looked around. "You all used to insult her constantly, I mean-"

"Someone's got to stick up for her if she won't do it for herself. That is your _sister_ , and you were always her harshest critic." Jade brandished her hands in the air, laughing out. "It's mind-boggling, because no matter what you do or say, she still holds out hope for you! Still believes in you, still cares for you. While you continue to insult her. You don't deserve a goddamn thing, Tori, and don't you go thinking you do."

"I don't need to be treated like this."

"Oh I think you do." Jade leaned in, poking a finger in Tori's face. "Because you grew up with a silver spoon in your mouth. You were sheltered by your parents, given everything you could ever ask for, and even became the most popular student at school; and yet you weren't as much of a diva then as somehow you are now! You're a selfish, shallow, entitled piece of shit, Tori."

"No. No, I'm not." Tori shook her head vigorously and Beck started to reach up to his wife, gently tugging on the back of her shirt.

"Jade, I think that's enough."

Jade swatted his hand away, hissing angrily. "Someone has to put her in her place, and it might as well be me. If Trina won't do it, I will." Jade threw her arm outwards, pointing off to the side. "You might as well go back to your great and glamorous lifestyle, having everything catered to you and molded to your will. If you're too good for us, too good for your own family, then leave-because no one wants you here."

Finally lowering her voice, Jade sank down and leaned dangerously close to Tori. "No one likes you, anymore." Tori gasped aloud, freezing up like a statue. Her mouth hung open and a breathy sound came from her throat like a broken record player.

"Jade!" Beck stood up and wrapped his arms around his wife. "Come on, I think it's time to leave." He looked at Trina, who was on the verge of tears at this point. She was thankful for Jade coming to her defense, but at the same time, this was a horrible moment. "I'm sorry, Trina. I know you wanted this to be different, but your sister's changed too much."

"She hasn't changed that much," Trina whispered, "You guys just haven't given her a chance."

"No Trina, we did. You're just not seeing her the way we are, you've got your family blinders on. We understand, we'd want to see the best in our siblings and relatives too; but sometimes it's hardest to see them for what they become when they take the wrong path."

"No." Tori spoke finally, her voice calm and quiet. Everyone watched as she slowly rose up, her fists clenched her sides. "You don't have to go anywhere. I'll leave." Her voice started to break. "I-I don't know what I was thinking."

"Tori…" Trina reached up, placing her hand on her sister's wrist. Without looking up, Tori pulled her hand away and turned around.

"Leave me alone. I'll leave you all alone. I'm sorry I interrupted your lives."

As Tori started for her car, Trina jumped out of her seat and called out to her, but the girl quickened her pace.

Within the hour, miles away in a cheap and smoky old motel room, Tori sat on a dusty bed with a faded picture in her hands. The picture had a weathered and broken frame, and it reminded her of days long gone. It was a family photo, one that had been stuffed away in her belongings years ago.

She raised her head, her mascara running down her cheeks, and stared in the mirror straight across from her. Her heart was breaking and each breath fell from her lips as a mournful sob. She didn't mean all the things that came out of her mouth earlier, at least not horribly; but things came out wrong and she managed to insult everyone without trying. She didn't know the right things to say, after all she was too nervous and too proud to admit when things were crashing down on her. Part of her envied all of them, even her own sister, who'd become so happy and confident.

Her broken reflection glared back at her, taunting and ridiculing her. Questioning where and when things could have gone so wrong. After several minutes, she let out a horrific scream and threw the picture at the mirror, shattering both the mirror and the glass over the picture.

"Why?" She screamed at the busted mirror, tensing her muscles and clenching her fists. "Why!" Tori proceeded to yank the drawers from the dresser and knocked off the television.

Eventually, after trashing the place with the contents of her luggage, she came across a bottle of prescription medication. It was prescribed for panic attacks, an anxiety medication. She tore open the lid and grabbed several pills from the bottle before tossing them into her mouth and throwing herself onto the bed.

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So we know something's up with Tori, we know a lot of stuff has happened since high school. Clearly. What are your thoughts? What will happen now?


	2. How Things Change

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

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Chapter 2 (How Things Change)

Thunder blasted over the sound of her radio and the car's windshield wipers fought in vain to clear her view from the car. The sky was filled with streaks of lightning that seemed to stretch on for miles. Trina had always loved a good thunderstorm, but she couldn't remain focused on anything in front of her.

"This isn't a luxurious hotel downtown, Tori..." She breathed in sharply and turned her eyes towards the small white rental. As the lightning lit up the area, she exhaled. "It's on the damn outskirts of the city." This wasn't an area Trina liked being in. Growing up, it was considered a dangerous place for anyone to be alone at night, let alone a young starlet.

It broke her heart to see her sister where she was, and she didn't know why. Amazingly, there wasn't much news about her, nothing to suggest she'd disappeared.

One of the rooms had a dim light within, one that seemed to fade. It was a curious allusion that caught her eye. "Tori, is your light going out?" Trina reached into the back of her car and pulled out her large umbrella. With a husky breath, she left the vehicle and opened the umbrella above her. It wasn't much help against the blistering rain and wind, but at the very least it kept her face dry.

Trina approached the window and peered inside. "Tori?" She called out to her sister, expecting an answer. Inside, she could see her sibling lying face down on the bed. Her heart began to pound in her chest as she examined the room's surroundings; it looked like a bomb had exploded inside. When she saw the bottle of pills enclosed in Tori's hand, it sent her over the edge. "Tori!"

She dropped her umbrella and struck the window with her palms, crying out and screaming when Tori's body didn't move. Instinctively she reached for her phone and dialed Jade's number, fearful and not knowing what to do. It took a couple rings, each more painful than the last, before her friend answered. "Trina? It's late, what's going on?"

"Tori's not moving and I don't know what to do." She ran her hand up her forehead, curling her fingers into her hair. "She's not staying at some big hotel either, she's in a motel on outskirts. Her room's a mess and there's a bottle in her hand. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in this whole parking lot-"

"Trina, Trina, stop and take a deep breath." Trina nodded, her tears mixing with the rain. She heard Jade trying to wake Beck in the background, telling him to get dressed. As she did this, Trina tried to open Tori's door, amazed that it was unlocked; but from what she could tell, it was cracked open.

Trina ran for the bed, screaming at the top of her lungs for Tori to wake up. She flipped Tori onto her back and hovered over her, her eyes moving up and down the girl's body. "Tori, no…" She leaned down, slowly brushing her sister's hair away from her face. Her lips trembled as she cupped her sister's face. "Wake up."

"Trina? Trina?" Trina's heartbeat snapped with the thunder outside and she grabbed the phone to answer the call. It was Beck this time. "Trina, what motel are you at? Do you have any idea? Jade's calling the ambulance right now." She gasped aloud and looked around for anything that could point to the motel's name.

Finally, she looked outside and saw the motel's broken sign. "Beacon. I'm at the Beacon. It-It's off…" She shuttered through her words and pounded her forehead, trying to remember the street she turned off. "Trinity and Bell."

"Trinity and Bell? Jesus, that's a far cry from downtown…okay." He cleared his throat and the tone in his voice grew calm. "Listen to me, Trina. Put the phone on speaker and set it down."

"O-Okay." She set the phone on the end table and moved her trembling hand over her mouth. "It's on."

"I need you to check your sister for a pulse and to ensure she's breathing." She did so and was horrified to not find much, though she was breathing. This was a huge relief, but not by much.

"Weak breath. Not getting a pulse."

"Okay, you need to be her pulse, until the paramedics arrive. Do you know CPR at all? Don't move her, unless you have to, and start chest compressions." She didn't need much instruction on how to administer those, so she did as Beck instructed and started the compressions, counting between each compression.

By the time the paramedics arrived, the rainwater had been replaced by profuse sweat and tears, her hair was a mess and she could barely breathe. Every muscle in her body burned with intensity. She fell back, letting the paramedics take over, collapsing against a wall. She curled her knees to her chest and buried her face into her hands, weeping and silently praying for Tori.

She didn't care about the things Tori had said before, she still loved her sister. Her friends were right to think she was delusional, but what was she to do, throw her sister away like she was nothing? She was family, and she didn't want anything bad to happen to her.

Then a paramedic said something that shook her. "Isn't that Victoria Vega?" Another paramedic raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, 'V.V.' or whatever, my daughter listened to her for a while…didn't she just get blacklisted by the industry?"

Her eyes grew wide and she lowered her hands, staring at her sister's body as they placed her on the stretcher. "Blacklisted?" She started to rise, firmly gripping the edge of the television stand. "Tori? Oh Tori."

Tori opened her eyes and was immediately blasted by white light. She let out a subtle groan and slammed her eyes shut until the pain subsided. Her stomach felt empty and a nauseous feeling was settling within her. "Where am I?" She asked with a groggy tone. She felt someone holding her hand and looked over to see Trina sitting beside her, her face wet with tears. "Trina?"

"Thank god," Trina breathed. Tori looked around the white walls until her gaze settled on a familiar dark form. Jade was standing in front of the hospital door, arms crossed and a tense expression on her face. Beck was nearby as well, wearing a robe over a white t-shirt and pajama pants.

"Way to go, Vega." Jade uncrossed her arms and walked forward. "You took enough pills to take out a horse. Lucky your sister found you when she did." Her eyes grew wide and she looked at her sister, fearful that the truth was going to come out. "What were you thinking?"

"That I wanted everything to be quiet…" All she could hear was noise, loud and glaring, and she wanted it to end. "I don't know what you're all worried about, I-I'm fine."

"Clearly not, and to clarify…" Jade raised a finger and motioned to Trina. "Your sister was worried sick." Trina reached for Tori with a sigh, slowly brushing the girl's hair back.

"They were worried about you too," she whispered. Jade's eyes flickered over to her and she swayed back a bit.

"No we weren't." Trina grimaced, hearing the old bitterness in Jade's tone. She knew where the girl was coming from and why, but it seemed bad timing. Tori closed her hands up and stared down the hospital bed.

"You guys used to be my friends. What happened?" Jade crossed her arms and haunched up her shoulders. Beck slid a careful arm around his wife's waist. Trina looked up to him and he slowly shook his head.

Tori was on the verge of tears, ashamed to have been found in the way she was and horrified that her friends no longer cared about her. Even more, she was shocked to discover they were all Trina's friends now. "I mean you were my friends first, now you're all Trina's? What did she do to make you all hate me?" Jade groaned and Tori looked from them to Trina and back.

"She didn't do a thing," Beck remarked, "Things change with time. Just like that, people change; and you have certainly changed a great deal." Beck looked cold and upset, his eyes burrowing into her. Still, he didn't seem to be as biting as he used to. "So no, you turned us against you on your own." Tori flinched, her heart sinking down as her fingertips rubbed the cloth blanket over her as though for comfort.

"I just…I don't know what to say. I don't think I changed at all."

"Oh you have, but now isn't the time." He turned his head to Jade, who slowly nodded and turned around. Tori lifted her gaze to them, watching as they walked off. Beck paused to glance at Trina. "We'll be just outside if you need anything." Trina thanked the couple as they walked off.

Tori returned her gaze to Trina's and was shocked by the sorrowful expression on the woman's face. "Would you like anything to drink, Tori?" She shook her head and looked around the room, noticing finally that some people were missing.

"Where are mom and dad?" She crossed her arms and shook her head in an attempt to shake off the tear running down her face. "Or do they hate me too for some reason?" Trina chuckled sorely.

"Not everything is about you, Tori." Trina slowly brushed Tori's bangs away. Pursing her lips, Tori raised a gaze to Trina, curious and upset. "Even Jade's bitterness isn't fully about you."

"Well what's her problem?" She scoffed and started to smirk. "I don't recall hitting on Beck again." Trina laughed once. "So what did I do to deserve her bitterness towards me?" Trina glanced over her shoulder, pausing for several seconds before turning back to her. Her voice was quiet and mournful.

"That." She took another moment to pause and breathe in. Tori could almost feel her sister's exhale on her face, heated and heavy. "Is something she'll have to tell you when she's ready, it isn't my place to say."

"Oh." She ran her thumbs over her knuckles and closed her eyes, sucking in a deep breath. "I mean, if I did something to piss her off years ago and she can't get over it, then she's the one with the problem. Not me." Trina coughed and grew terse, causing Tori to flinch.

"Don't ever say that again, Tori, at least not to her or to Beck. It isn't something you can just 'get over', and like I said, it's not always about you."

"Well how am I supposed to know, if I don't know what it is that's upsetting her?"

"If she wants to let you know, she will. Right now, leave it alone." Sensing the exhaustion and irritation in her sister's tone, she knew well enough to back off the subject. For the moment, Trina was the only person not completely against her or tearing her head from her shoulders, so she didn't want to piss off the one person still on her side.

"You still didn't answer about mom and dad." Her heart was beating harder as she thought about them, knowing that Trina hadn't spoken a word about them and they weren't here. Had she been so out of it for so long that she didn't know what was going on with them? "A-Are they still alive? I mean-"

"They're alive. They just can't make it out here at this hour. Mom needs her sleep and Dad can't make it out."

"Not even for me?" Her voice fell to a whimper and she started to tremble. "I didn't mean to ignore them all these years, I just-"

"I know. You didn't want to 'subject them to a public lifestyle'." Tori whined and Trina started to smile, albeit appearing to be forced. "No, things have changed a lot with them too. We could never get ahold of you, so we eventually figured to leave well enough alone."

"What's going on, Trina? Why can't they make it out of the house?"

"Because Mom would have to drive, and she's asleep. Dad can't drive anymore." The sorrow in Trina's voice spoke volumes. It was frightening, so much that Tori didn't know whether to press _that_ subject or leave it alone. "Our parents' health has started going down pretty quickly, and Mom doesn't get enough sleep as it is because she's always taking care of Dad."

She stared back at Trina with a confused silence, certainly believing herself to appear as a deer in headlights. "I don't understand."

"You'll see them tomorrow. I have something else I want to talk to you about." Trina's hand moved over Tori's and gently squeezed it. Tori smiled sadly as Trina glanced back at the hospital door. Tori followed her gaze, seeing Beck and Jade talking just outside the window. "I heard the paramedics earlier say something…" Tori glanced slowly at Trina, now wondering more how her sister found her. .

"I told you I was at a hotel downtown. How did-"

"Followed you to your hotel. Then I drove around a bit, trying to figure out how I was going to approach you…" Trina leaned back, brushing a hand in the air. "The paramedics recognized you, one said you'd been 'blacklisted'. What happened?" Her heart froze and she glanced back to her sister in horror.

"I…" Tori chuckled nervously, remembering the scandal and rumors that ended her career. "I don't know what you're talking about. Blacklisted? No, I'm not blacklisted." She didn't want to admit to the failing of her career, she didn't want the others to laugh at her or to appear any less successful than they'd become. Trina raised an eyebrow and shot a skeptical look at her. "I just wanted to see what a cheap motel was like. I took a little too much of my sleeping pills, that's all."

Trina still clearly didn't believe a word she was saying, but Tori wasn't ready to fess up. No, she didn't want to appear any less than she was, or what she had been. "Okay," Trina said finally, "If that's the way it's going to be, so be it. I'll still be here if you want to tell me the truth."

"Right, just…" Her eyes darted to the side and she held her breath while trying to gather her thoughts. "Tell me, how are the others? I haven't heard much about Mr. Sikowitz. How's he been? Oh, and Jason! How is-" She stopped as Trina's face turned sour, her heartbeat flickered and she watched her sister rise up slowly.

"That's a discussion for another time, I think. I've got to go, it's late. I'll come see you tomorrow before I go to work, okay?" Tori nodded and started to whimper as Trina left the room.

Finally alone, she breathed a sigh of relief and looked around the room. It was unsettling to be there, as she hated hospitals. Tori glanced around the room a second time and started to remember seeing Trina placing something down on the end table beside her. She leaned over and glanced at what was a glossy photograph.

Every muscle in her body froze as she examined what was a picture of her parents. Holly looked thin and frail, the bags under her eyes betrayed the smile on her face. Her hair had grown wispy and grey. She was gripping the handlebars of a wheelchair. In that wheelchair sat the withered form of a once strong man. He had a blanket over his legs, his hands clenched over the blanket and fresh white hair seemed to conceal his faded eyes. He had an oxygen tank on the back of the chair, and a tube running across his face.

"What is this?" Tori picked up the photograph and looked at the door. "Trina? Trina, come back." She yelled out in vain, knowing her sister was long gone. Glancing back at the photograph, she noticed a birthday cake. It was her father's sixty-fifth birthday, the year prior. Their appearances suggested something that occurred well before that.

Tears dripped away from her eyes and she called for her sister again, hoping against her own knowledge that Trina might still be within reach. She needed to know what was going on with her parents, and what reason Trina had for leaving the picture there. Was it a test? Did she want to see if Tori still gave a shit about them?

A fair one, considering how long it had been since she had contact with them. Fair, but cruel at the same time. Cruel, because it revealed the truth of the nature, and that was the matter of her never knowing what happened to her parents. "Why? Why is Dad in a wheelchair? I don't understand."

* * *

A grim picture indeed, and a good reminder of what was already said: Not everything is about you, Tori's got something to learn there. Tori's missed a lot, I guess she'll be rediscovering her old friends and her parents. At least Beck's and Jade's presence could suggest their willingness, despite their harsh words, to let Tori in. Perhaps, they could just have been there for Trina, who can say? I think they'll come around, but it might take some work. Tori's got a lot of hard work in multiple areas. For a girl whom everything came to so easily, little miss perfect's world isn't so perfect anymore, and right now Trina is the only friend she's got. Think she can prove to Beck, Jade and the others that Trina's faith in her isn't misplaced? Or do you think they're right and Trina's deluding herself into thinking Tori can do a full 180?


	3. Shadows of Tragedy

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 3 (Visitation)

Trina tapped her fingertips on her right knee, looking up at the sky and biding her time a bit before going to pick up Tori from the hospital. Seated on her friends' deck, Jade was in a reclining patio chair with a tablet in her hand. Beck walked by with a plate of hamburgers in his hand. He placed a hand on Jade's shoulder, glanced down with a smile as she turned her gaze up to her. "Hamburgers are ready."

"Thanks sweetheart." He leaned over and kissed her forehead. Trina smiled gently, allowing for the brief escape from her thoughts. Behind them, a young girl of close to eleven years ran about. She had dark skin, long black hair that swept over her shoulders, and stunning green eyes. She looked just like her mother, but nothing like Beck. Following her was a much younger child, a boy of five, and a spitting image of his father.

Jade turned around, calling to them. "Kids, come eat. Opal, Ryan, come along." Trina tilted her head and watched the two running alone. As Opal picked up one of the hamburgers, she thanked her father and hugged her mother.

Opal was fortunate, born in the worst of circumstances and almost aborted per her grandfather's suggestion; but Jade didn't believe in abortion nor did she want to plunge her into the foster system for something that wasn't her fault. Jade's decision to keep Opal in her life was one of the hardest decisions the woman ever made, and it took the love and support of all her friends and family for her to push beyond the circumstances and take care of this child. These days, Jade's love for her daughter was strong; but as her daughter grew older, she feared the conversation that would likely come in the future. Beck and Trina would be there for her when that time came, however.

"So," Beck motioned to the tablet in Jade's hand, "Another game of candy crush?" Jade set her hamburger down on her lap and shook her head.

"No, I was doing some research on Tori." Trina frowned and unraveled her fingers to lay her palm flat on her knee. "You think Trina's the only that noticed the incredible lack of security following that girl around, or the fact that she lied about where she was staying?" Beck grunted and sat down beside4 her.

"Find anything interesting?" He took a bite and looked at Trina curiously. She shrugged back at him, having not done any research herself. He looked back to Jade, and Trina was hesitating between shutting her answer out or hearing it.

"It's funny. Remember how vindictive and spiteful I was in high school?" Both nodded their heads while the children sat at the edge of the deck, swinging their legs through the air. "Well, here's a woman who managed to outdo _me!_ " She rose an eyebrow as Jade laughed. "I shouldn't laugh, this is horrible, but I can't say she didn't have it coming."

"What happened?" Beck took another bite and motioned to Trina's untouched burger. "Aren't you going to eat?" Trina lifted her hamburger up with a sigh and raised it to her lips. Jade studied her a second, then looked down to her tablet.

"Seems Tori got into an affair with the husband of one of the most powerful producer in the industry." Trina's jaw dropped and Beck furrowed her brow. "The affair was discovered after they were involved in a car accident. Apparently, Tori was applying makeup, ran a red light and hit someone with her car."

"Oh god…"

"The person wasn't horribly injured, but the guy's wife was livid. Tori was fired from whatever labels she had, torn from her agent and all her assets, and then finally it appears the woman had her blacklisted so she could never work in the industry again." Trina's heart stopped and Beck's mouth formed an oval, he remained silent until speaking what was the best clarification he could come up.

"So essentially this woman has left Tori broke, homeless, jobless and alone?"

Jade bit into her food, then leaned back to wipe away some sauce from the corner of her lips. "It doesn't help that the husband _was_ one of Tori's biggest agents. She made the mistake, also, of signing important things over to him-at his request."

Trina jerked back and anger flickered within her. "Why the hell would she do that?" Tori wasn't an idiot. She could be naïve, but that was in the past. "Signing everything over to her agent?"

"Apparently he does this with his people, puts himself in full control; but the only one that controls him is his wife." Trina raised a hand to her forehead and Beck cringed, seeming to understand what this meant. "She had him freeze everything that belonged to Tori. Essentially, Tori owned nothing before, and now she has nothing. She may as well be a vagrant. I couldn't have even gone that far back in the day, this kind of vindication is beyond high school me…I'm partially impressed."

Beck brandished a hand. "Back up a bit. You said she hit someone as well; so she's got a criminal charge to boot?"

"Maybe for reckless driving. It wouldn't hinder her much in getting a job, unless this woman did something to make it matter." Jade shrugged again. "Honestly, the old me would have done that exact thing. So, keep an eye out. If Tori can't find a job, then we know…Otherwise, no way in hell this woman's finished."

"Right." Trina cleared her throat and stood up. She was ready to go pick up her sister, but this news was overwhelming. She didn't know what to think, and felt like she'd just been run over by a piledriver. "Do you guys mind keeping this on the down and out for a while?" The couple looked up at her with respectful nods. "She won't tell me the truth, because I asked her about the blacklisting thing, so she probably doesn't want to talk about it. Just leave it alone, don't tell the others about it either please.

"We won't," Jade replied, "But they are their own people, we can't stop them if they look Tori up on their own. No doubt they're going to find out if they haven't already." She understood this, but still wanted to be respectful of her sister.

Beck positioned an arm over his elbow and looked to his children, watching them while still a participant in the conversation. "Andre, especially, since he's in the music industry. Also, we don't know how much of that is fact and how much is made up…"

"Yeah, with all the made up celebrity news and gossip going on these days, the truth could be anything." Jade grabbed her tablet, pressed a few buttons, then the sound of candy crush started to chime. Trina smiled and saw as Opal hopped up and ran over to watch her mother play.

"What level you on, momma?" Jade turned her head, smiling gently as Opal placed her chin onto Jade's shoulder.

"Seventy hon, you want to see how far I can go?" Opal laughed jovially and Jade moved her head, nudging her daughter gently. The child looked up at Trina and waved. "Bye Auntie Katy." Trina chuckled softly and rubbed the child's hair while walking past her.

"Later, you be good for your parents, don't get your brother in trouble." Opal laughed and a look of her mischievous nature flashed in her eyes. Jade and Beck answered with a heavy sigh and Trina continued on. "I'll give you guys a call once I get Tori over to our parents' place."

At the hospital, Tori was huffing in her bed. Her arms were crossed tight and her face was red from tears and exhaustion. She was peering through the window, watching the trees sway and the grass roll in the wind. It was a serene picture, one that calmed the raging storm within her. "Stupid Hudson won't return my calls. Barbara has him wrapped around her finger." She closed her eyes and shook her head slowly.

When she heard the latch of the door click, she turned her attention to it. Her heart started to rise when she saw it open and Trina walk in. "Trina!" Almost instantly, her sister's eyes turned to the floor where the picture of their parents lay in torn shreds.

"What the-"

Tori hiked up her shoulders and scrunched her face. "I tore it up. It's a lie, it's not real." Trina raised an eyebrow and glanced up at her. "Mom and Dad are fine." She brushed her hair with her hand and chuckled. "That was a nice set up, probably staged to make me feel guilty for not being in contact with you." She saw her sibling's eyes roll as Trina released the doorknob and moved forward.

"You know I could leave you sitting right here, right? Or even send you to the hospital's mental ward. I do have that ability." Tori gasped and quickly smiled at Trina. She locked her hands together in her lap and bat an eye at her.

"But you wouldn't do that to me, right?"

"Of course not." Trina began picking up the pieces of the picture from the ground, slowly shaking her head. "But as the responsible caregiver for mom and dad, I would appreciate you being on good behavior and _not_ stressing them out."

Trina had to be lying, there was no way their parents were in such bad shape. Although, if they were in decent shape, why wouldn't they have been able to make it to the hospital to see her? "Trina, did you tell them I was back in town?" Trina stood up and tossed the scraps into a nearby trashcan.

"Yep. They're eager to see you."

"Oh." Defeated by the answer, she pouted a bit and turned back to the window. "I thought maybe you hadn't told them yet." Her eyes drifted down and she could feel her heartbeat flickering like a candle about to go out. "H-How'd they react to my coming for a visit?"

"Well. How do you hope they'd react?"

Her eyes lit up as she envisioned a grand welcome. "Oh, I don't know." She laughed and looked at her curious sister. "I think maybe Mom would have made a cake and got a party started, maybe Dad would have some of his old buddies there. They'd hug me and we'd all have a ball, and then Gary would be there too with some gifts from his days in the military."

Gary used to be their godfather, and David's best friend. She once made up the rumor that her mom was having an affair with him, because she wanted to appear mysterious and get some sympathy from friends; but that rumor never went far.

Trina looked away and sucked in a heavy breath. "Yeah, sure, Gary…" Sensing the grief hidden away in Trina's voice, and the sadness in the woman's face, Tori froze up and furrowed her brow. "You never heard about that."

"Oh god, now what?" She released a melodramatic sigh and threw up her hand. "Are you going to tell me now that Gary hates me?"

"He's passed." The breath shot out from her lungs and Tori could feel her blood turning to ice. Trina sat at the foot of her bed and closed her eyes. "Almost eight years ago, actually. He was murdered by an anti-police radical protester." Tori whimpered and began to tremble, fresh tears started to leak from her eyes. "That's when Dad was put in the wheelchair. They were eating at a restaurant during their lunch break." The break in Trina's voice was deafening, and it seemed as though her sister was taking all the oxygen from the room.

"That's why I could never understand those people. It doesn't matter who the hell you are, doesn't matter what you do for a living or what the color of your skin is, murder is murder and those apes don't give a shit whose lives they destroy. They're just as bad as every other killer out there."

"No…" Tori stared at her trembling hands, whimpering violently. "I don't want to hear it."

"Dad and Gary were attacked because they wore a badge, nothing else. They weren't racist, they never committed hate crimes and were never corruptible, but it didn't matter." Trina scoffed and wiped away an angered tear. "They were shot at because they were cops. Gave their lives for these people, and for what?" Trina's voice was rising and she looked to Tori, sweeping her hand outward. "You tell me what it was all for? Tell me why the fuck I would want to work in a career field protecting the assholes of the world that couldn't care less about anyone other than themselves."

"W-What happened to the shooter?"

"Oh he got off." Trina laughed and started to growl. "All of his protester buddies rallied behind him, signing a cop-killer's praise and declaring war if he got sent to prison. Even threatened the judge and jury members."

It was dawning on her now, the reason Trina wasn't working in law enforcement like the degree that she'd pursued. "When we were younger, Trina, you seemed to want to follow in Dad's footsteps."

"Yeah well, things change, Tori. You're going to have to see that. You may not want to hear or believe what I'm telling you; but that's your choice." Trina stood up and adjusted her shirt. "Let's get you out of this place."

The drive was a solemn one. Trina spoke no words, focusing on the road, while Tori rested her head on the window of Trina's car and watched the scenery pass by. She was shocked when, rather than driving familiar streets, Trina ended up driving into what looked like countryside.

"Where are we going?" Tori straightened herself a bit and pointed past the backseat. "Mom and Dad's place is that way." Trina glanced in the rearview.

"Not anymore. They've moved to a one-bedroom in a quieter location. It's for the best, because they need the peace and quiet. Especially with Mom's debilitating condition."

"What?" She snapped her head in Trina's direction and held her breath. "Mom's what?"

"Mom's immune system is shutting down. She's getting weaker every day. She ended up contracting something from work a very long time ago…and dad's situation hasn't done much to aid hers."

"Jesus." Try as she might to remain in denial, it was difficult. The sobriety on Trina's face was too much to argue against. Her sister rarely lied to her, and in the past whenever Trina did lie, she could never keep a straight face-much less look or sound so somber when doing so.

"When we get there, just be calm and be yourself. They don't like to talk much about what's going on with them, so don't press too much."

"Got it."

"How long are you planning on staying, by the way?"

"Oh I don't know. Until Hudson gives me a call, he's trying to sort everything out." She was lying through her teeth, but for all she was concerned, Trina didn't know this. She watched Trina's eyebrow arch and sank back against the window and door.

"Hudson? Who's Hudson?"

"My agent. He's a remarkable man." Trina rolled her eyes, causing Tori a mild bit of grief. She couldn't tell why she reacted like that, but it didn't matter much.

They pulled alongside a tiny looking home with a front patio. Tori held her breath and focused on the house; it was old looking with wood that was peeling away from the frame. The house was painted a light blue color and had a solid wood door with an orange-slice shaped window at the top. There were two square windows, one on either side of the door.

On the patio was a glass table with two steel chairs, seated in one of them was a woman who appeared much older than her actual age. "Mom." Seeing the woman's fragile state was all too real for her, forcing her to suppress a cry. "No."

The woman lifted her head from the cloth she was crocheting and a weak smile spread across her face when she spotted Trina's car. Trina got out first and shut the door as Tori pushed hers open. "Hey Mom, look who I've brought with me!" Trina walked around the car and laughed once. Tori exited the car, shambling nervously alongside her sister. "Is Dad inside?"

"Yes," Holly answered, "We were watching a movie and he fell asleep, so I thought I'd come out here and wait on you guys." Trina hugged her mother gently and Holly raised the cloth in her hands. "Look, I'm making a coaster." It was a tightly woven piece made up of yellow and blue cloth. Trina kissed Holly on top of the head and reached for the cloth.

"It looks great, Mom." Holly set her project on the table and stood up, she turned to Tori and stretched out her arms. Tori hugged her mother tentatively, unsure of her words or the proper course of action.

"It's been so long," Tori said finally, "I've missed you guys." Tori looked past her mom and to her sister, who was studying the window of the home. There was a pearl colored curtain hanging inside, it shuffled to the side as though someone were moving it. "Oh, I think Dad's awake."

"Yep." Trina walked to the door. "That was him." She opened the door and David was sitting a few feet away with a broad smile on his face. Tori was afraid at first, seeing her father in the wheelchair and with an oxygen tank attached to it.

Perhaps one of the gunman's shots severed a lung, she didn't know, but she didn't want to push. She found it difficult to accept any of this, even with her parents right there before her. "Hey Dad." Tori wanted to hug him, but she was frozen in fear. Trina bypassed her and gave her father a firm hug. "So, what happened to the old place and everything?"

"We sold it," David replied. Trina nodded and leaned towards her sister.

"A lot of what they had was sold to deal with medical stuff, legal issues, and so on."

"It's okay." Holly gripped her husband's wheelchair by the handles and pushed him through the living room. The room was small, square shaped, with a couch and recliner facing a television set against the back wall and right next to an archway to its right. To the left was a door that opened into a bedroom, and through the archway was a den that was home to a brown, oval dining table and four chairs.

Tori followed her parents through the den and into another archway that unveiled the kitchen. She looked to her left and saw a hallway that had a bathroom on the other end. She continued to walk with her parents and saw the back door leading out into an open yard with lots of vegetation.

"I've actually started my own garden out here," Holly said with a chipper tone. "I'm growing my own fruits, vegetables, and plants." She placed a hand on the back door's window and glanced outside at the breathtaking view of plants growing.

In some places she could see tomato plants, in others she saw peppermint leaves. There was a greater assortment of options farther out. "It's stunning." Holly laughed and moved her wispy fingers through her hair.

"Trina comes and helps me with my garden sometimes." Trina smiled gently as Holly hugged her eldest daughter. Tori felt a pang of envy in her heart and turned away a bit. "I do cherish every moment." Holly pulled away and rubbed Tori's back. "Glad that you've come to visit, we really must spend some time together."

"Sure…"

"How long are you planning on visiting town?"

"Oh, I don't know." Tori chuckled nervously. "I might be here for a few weeks. I haven't really decided." Trina moved her hands to her hips and pressed her lips firmly. Tori caught her stare and cringed. "We'll see. It really is great to see you guys again." She hated to see them like this, and part of her wondered what would happen if she were still within the industry; her parents would probably never want to be around her.

* * *

Well, there's a lot to discuss here. One thing concerning the earlier event in this chapter, yes the events surrounding Jade are serious and must be handled and taken in a serious, mature fashion. It will be touched upon as the story progresses and in later chapters, I would never throw something in for the sake of putting it in, not something so serious. It will be used for the purposes of this story and characterization, development between Jade and Tori as time goes on. Yet another matter that Tori will have to learn to accept and come to terms with. Now, as we move on through the chapter, we see her first interaction with her parents, how do you think things will unfold there? Or will Tori avoid them? It's clear Trina knows Tori is lying left and right, but she's giving Tori several opportunities to be forthcoming; I think we all know that this Hudson is probably never going to lift a finger for Tori. Perhaps, she owes it to her parents to be honest


	4. Defamed and Jobless

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 4 (Defamed and Jobless)

"What do you mean 'better candidate'?" Tori paced the floor of her motel, shouting into the phone with a low growl in her throat. "Who's a better candidate than me?" She beat her chest and narrowed her eyes.

The person she spoke to answered with a calm and polite voice, something that must be difficult when considering her behavior. "Someone that has, say, finished college perhaps?" Tori rolled her eyes and let out a heavy sigh; it wasn't hard to discern the real answer, especially with all the high school degree kids that were getting jobs. Granted, it was easier about twelve years back, now you almost had to have some sort of degree to get hired on anywhere. "Or, what else, perhaps someone without a criminal record?"

Tori froze and her eyes shifted to the side. "Excuse me?" There it was, the real reason-Barbara Watson had managed to weave her way into the system and get some of the elites on her payroll to tack on a criminal record. Granted, the reckless driving thing should stick, but she didn't know that it'd be enough to cause someone to not hire her for it.

Though, most didn't bother to read what the conviction was as much as the fact that she had a conviction. Hell, she was still on probation, which made it even harder for her to explain why she was still a good candidate for jobs.

"Maybe you could try the food industry, dear? I'm sure they'll let you work for them."

"Food indus-" She broke off, her hand shaking violently as she imagined herself in a McDonald's uniform. It was the bottom of the barrel, the lowest she could go; and even that wouldn't be enough to pay for a living. "I _refuse_ to work fast food! I wouldn't be caught dead in something so gross and nauseating!"

With a violent scream, she threw her phone against the wall and kicked at the bed. "I was a big time star, and you expect me to grovel to some patty flipper? Fuck that." She threw herself onto the bed and crossed her arms, muttering under her breath. "I need a job, I need a career-anything that will get me some money rolling in."

Several moments of silence went by before an idea came to her; it was a long shot, but there was a chance she could get on somewhere locally. She grabbed her phone and began to dial the number of a nearby bar. It rang a couple times before a manager answered. "How can I help?"

"Hi, my name is Tori Vega and I'm a musician. I was wondering if I could book a gig." She heard a strangely familiar voice in the background, someone talking to the manager. "Please, I'm desperate. I can't get a job anywhere, they want me to work for…food service." She hissed the last two words as though aghast that anyone could suggest something so menial.

"I'm sorry Miss Vega, but I already have a regular musician that plays for me on Saturday nights. Also, I've heard of your circumstances, I don't believe you're going to have much luck trying to play local gigs either."

"Heard my-" She held her breath, growling as the snarky image of the brunette with venomous eyes popped into her head. "Let me guess, Mrs. Watson's reached everywhere already?"

"She's pretty big in this area, so I'm afraid so."

"Fine." She hung up and fell back onto the bed with a defeated sigh. Glaring at the ceiling above, she ignored the tears sliding down her face. "How could this happen to me? I can't afford anything." She was too proud to admit defeat, too proud to admit failure; but it was getting harder not to ask for help.

Who could she ask? Her old friends wanted nothing to do with her, her parents had their own problems to deal with, and Trina seemed to be as annoyed with her as ever.

Tori rolled onto her side and tucked her hands beneath her head. She stared out the window, watching the trees sway in the breeze. "I might as well be dead. I'm nothing anymore, and no one cares."

After a while her phone started to ring. She turned her eyes towards it, contemplating whether to answer. At this point, she only wanted to be left alone to wallow in her pity. When she saw Hudson calling, she quickly bolted up and grabbed the phone. "Hudson?"

"Victoria." The man spoke in a hushed tone, his voice was like music to his ears. "Barbara's in the other room, she doesn't know I'm calling." She was curious what he was calling for, especially since she knew in her gut he wasn't on her side in anything. "Look, what she's been doing…I know it hurts, I'm sorry. She's been doing this to both of us."

"What do you mean?"

"I can't get any clients to come to me, she's spread the rumor that I'm an abuser and manipulator. She's been spreading lies that I victimize all my clients, so nobody in the industry is willing to work with me. I've lost all my clients."

She couldn't tell if he was being honest or not, and that scared her. "I want my life back, Hudson. I want my fans, I want my money, I want it all."

"I can't do that for you, I don't have the power anymore." Tori leaned back, her tears welling up. "It's all gone. She handed it all away." Her hand flew to her chest and she started whimpering.

"What do you mean?"

"Essentially it's all torched. Your house in the hills, your car, your money, everything…all gone. I couldn't stop her." She couldn't imagine how helpless the man was, if he truly was. Part of her wanted to ask him if he meant that he wouldn't stop her, but she didn't know. "Where are you now? What are you up to?"

"I'm trying to find a job, but failing at that. Back in my old hometown."

"Los Angeles? Barbara's already spreading rumors about you there. Where have you applied for work already?" She went through a list of places she applied to, most of which she already knew she wasn't going to be qualified for. She went over the local shops she was trying to get to perform at. "Those performances would have to be hard to get. All things considered."

"I know. Maybe Andre would be willing to help, he's an old friend of mine; but he's not exactly fond of me right now."

"Andre Harris? Heard of him, some local talent in east LA."

"Yeah, used to be close, but I think we grew apart. It's okay, I guess…it's nice to see some people I used to know." She chuckled fondly, recalling her memories of him. "You know, his grandmother was always a bit nuts, but he loved her. I think it's amazing. My parents' health has gotten worse, but my sister's been taking care of them. I am happy for that, even if a little envious."

She rolled onto her stomach and curled her legs upwards, smiling as she spoke on her memories. "I kind of miss everything I had before. I mean, the friends who cared about me before they hated me…"

Elsewhere, Trina sat at a bar with a glass of brown ale in her hand, she watched Andre as he chatted with the manager. He pulled his phone from his pocket and his forehead creased a bit.

Trina sipped the beer and looked away for a moment. Andre thumbed at his phone, then motioned at the manager before walking towards her. "Hey I just got a message from someone named Barbara Watson." Trina turned her head and raised an eyebrow. "She's informing me in some sort of mass text that your sister is a lying, vindictive murderer and thief; and that I am to turn her away."

Trina growled and took another sip of the beer. "How'd she get your number?"

"She's one of the most powerful bigshots in the industry, she has access to everybody's information, even small-time local risers like myself." Andre set his phone down and motioned his head to the manager. "Speaking of your sister, she just called the manager here asking for a job. Evidently she's desperate for a job, can't get hired on anywhere." Trina shut her eyes, groaning softly.

Andre's phone lit up and he checked it again, his eyebrows rising slowly. "She's firing up twitter. Looks like your sister pissed her off something strong." Trina downed a larger gulp of her beer and motioned for him.

"What's she saying?"

"That she's listening to a phone conversation with her husband, and Tori's going on about all this shit." His brow furrowed as Trina turned her head, feeling a slow rise of anger. "Evidently she's calling my grandmother a psychotic bitch that 'should be shot'."

"The hell?" She straightened her posture and Andre looked up at her, appearing hurt for a moment. "Come on Andre, you know she may be irritating, but she's not _that_ bad." Andre pressed his lips together and shrugged.

"Well this woman is telling anyone on twitter about some huge meltdown your sister's having and demanding that nobody in this area even open doors to her…also threatening any potential employers with financial and career ruin." Trina was surprised by this, and curious just what kind of power this woman truly held. Even Jade would be impressed, if not a bit frightened. "Also, from the sound of it, this phone conversation's still going on and your sister is ranting on about how feeble and horrible your parents are becoming."

She knew Tori wasn't saying this stuff, nor did Tori likely realize what was occurring. "Goddamn." Trina downed the rest of her beer and hopped off the stool. "She's at her little motel, I think. Think you can try and intervene on that woman's twitter feed at all?" Andre picked up his phone with a heavy sigh.

"No, but I can try in the comments. Any idea what's going on?"

"Not completely. I'll call you later…"

As Tori continued her conversation with Hudson, she was starting to feel more relaxed and comfortable. She loved how he would always listen to her, just letting her talk was always so comforting for her. "You know Hudson, thank you for listening to me carry on, I don't think anyone else would be so patient."

"You know, I care about you. If there's anything I can do to help, I would try. There isn't much, but I'll have to see what I can do."

"Thank you, Hudson. I-"

The motel door flew open and Tori screamed in alarm, jumping off her bed. "Trina?" Her sister stormed in, nostrils flaring and hair flying in the air. "What're you doing here?"

Without word, Trina yanked her phone away with such force that she almost stumbled back. "Hudson," Trina shouted into the phone. Tori gasped, her hands flying over her mouth. She wanted to ask how Trina knew who she was on the phone with. "This conversation is over. Don't you ever fucking contact my sister again. You're nothing but slime, and so is your wife. I'm not as naïve as Tori, if you fuck with her, you fuck with me; and you don't want to fuck with me, because that's a fight you will not win. I don't give a shit how powerful you think you are, or how hotshot you think you are, you will not fuck with my sister again if you know what's good for you."

She hung up the phone and continued hitting the icons. Anxiety flooded Tori's veins as she watched her sister, she tried to speak but could only tremble. Trina glanced over and narrowed her eyes. "Number deleted and blocked, Tori. I don't want you to talk to that guy ever again."

"But what did you do!" Tori pulled the phone back, crying out. "He was such a good listener. He-He-"

"Oh is he?" Trina put her hands to her waist and leaned forward. "Does he have your best interest in mind?" She pouted and looked down at her phone. To her surprise, she saw twitter open. "Checked your twitter feed recently, while you were doling out your life story for your beloved Hudson?"

"I…" Tears flooded her eyes as she read the lies from Barbara's post. She was painting her as this horrible sociopath that didn't care about anyone or anything but herself. While only partly true, it hurt that so many were listening to it. "I never said anything like that. I would never…"

"No, but you do act in a way that it would be believable." Trina crossed her arms and began growling. "Jesus, I didn't think there could be anyone harder on you than Jade was, but this bitch outdoes you."

"She's going to go after you too after that, probably."

Trina shrugged. "She can't do a damn thing to me, and I don't care. I'm not popular or important enough for her to destroy, and my job is secure. So don't worry about me."

"You're my sister." She was amazed that Trina would even stand up for her. Even in high school, Tori understood that she never stood up for Trina. It was strange, because Barbara was far too scary of a threat. "I could never stand up to that woman, but you would go against her for me? I don't deserve-"

"You don't deserve anything, but again, I'm not letting some bitch fuck up my sister's life." Trina grabbed her by the wrist and began yanking her out the motel room. "Now let's go." She didn't resist the tug, still too dazed to react.

"To fix things, as much as can be for the moment."

It wasn't long before Trina had all her friends at the same coffee shop that Tori found them before. They were angry and hurt, which wasn't at all surprising. "So I think I should say I'm sorry." It really wasn't all her fault, it was the witch after her. "I mean, I didn't post it all for the world to see like Barbara did-" As their eyes narrowed, Trina dug her elbow into Tori's side. She winced and cleared her throat. "I didn't say any of it, I would never say any of it."

"You said something," Robbie muttered, "How about taking some responsibility."

"I mean, all I did was talk about you guys, but it wasn't bad."

Trina leaned forward, moving her hand to her chest. "What my sister is trying to say is that she was talking about all the great memories she had, thinking Hudson was listening to her, when in reality his wife was twisting her words to paint them in a negative way."

The others started to nod, each beginning to relax a bit. "So who is Hudson?" Cat inquired. Tori exhaled and closed her eyes.

"My agent. His wife hates me for…whatever reason." Her shoulders sloped and she lowered her head. "I really don't want to go into that right now."

"Fine. What else is going on?"

"Besides the fact that she can't get a job," Andre remarked. Tori flinched and listened as the group murmured at each other. Trina brandished a hand and the others looked her way.

"That's dealt with. I've talked to my boss, he'll consider hiring her." Tori's eyes bulged and she gasped at the thought of doing custodial work. She stammered through her words as the others eyeballed her sister as skeptics.

"You want me to get down and dirty, cleaning up after little children and whatnot?" Tori gagged, thinking about having to be knee high in vomit. "Ugh, all the puke and feces." Trina raised an eyebrow at her while her former friends heckled, telling Trina that there was no hope and that she was a lost cause.

"The vomit thing doesn't really happen much, Tori…" Trina looked to the others. "And have a little faith." Jade rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Well…" The woman spoke slowly, her eyes travelling up and down Tori. "You don't really have any other options, do you little Vega? You'd rather do what, rot away in some dusty old motel room, until you run out of what little money you have and they kick your ass out onto the street?"

Tori groaned, still horrified by the image of what she considered a meaningless job. "What purpose would that job even serve?" Trina shut her eyes.

"I guess you'd have to find out yourself. Also, if you want…you can move into my apartment. It's small, and all I have to offer is the couch, since it's only a studio-" Tori's face went sour.

"And what about Mom and Dad?"

Trina rolled her eyes. "They've already said they can't take you in, Tori. They want to be by themselves. Hell, I've even tried moving back in to care for them, but they're too proud and independent. They won't even consider places like assisted living facilities." Tori nodded in agreement, she didn't really trust places like those very much. Though, she trusted them more than retirement centers and nursing homes.

"I'm not sleeping on a _couch_ , Trina. I'll take my motel room." She crossed her arms and turned sideways, huffing angrily. "Besides, what makes you guys think I'm sticking around this town for long?"

Each of them held up their phones, showing the twitter feed of Barbara Watson. Tori sank in her chair, her face turning beet red as a lump swelled in her throat. "Hon." Jade reached over, gently placing a hand on her wrist. Tori lifted her gaze to the woman's and answered with a weakened whine. "Remember when I said Trina's the only person standing on your side right now and looking out for you? Well guess what, she's the only one extending on olive branch…take it before your pretty ass is thrown off the side of the Golden Gate and you become another celebrity tragedy. Eh?"

Tori winced inwardly and growled. "I don't _need_ help, I don't need anybody's help. I can manage just fine."

"Well, good luck with that. Until then, you have only one job prospect through the one way you can get a job: by knowing someone. Take it or leave it. Maybe learn some humility along the way."

"Ouch…"

* * *

So, it appears Tori may be working soon. Now that we've arrived at this, do tell your thoughts of everything in this chapter.


	5. Who Gazes Back?

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 5 (Who Gazes Back?)

Staring back at her from the mirror was a ghastly pale version of herself, looking something like the girl from that _Ring_ movie. The sink had spit in the bowl that reeked of mouthwash, while the faucet itself was covered with gross smudges.

Tori's right hand clung to the bottle of prescription pills while the black-eyed reflection dared her to swallow them. "No." Instinctively, she returned them to her purse and tried to straighten her hair. "I refuse to be another celebrity druggie." Though, she feared it might be too late for her to avoid it. She'd done drugs in the past, though wasn't one to admit to it; it seemed every celebrity did them, if only for experimentation. Hell, she'd even been one of the celebrities to jump on the bandwagon for legal marijuana; or as some preferred to call it, exploiting the hospital to get legally high. At least, that's what she and some of her fellow celebrities did, not saying everyone did.

With a nonchalant hum, Tori grabbed the tall latte beside her and walked towards the door. The words on the cup read, written in true Starbucks form and faded from age, _This Generation's Lindsay Lohan._ She didn't even get the cup from this coffee shop, of course this was no Starbucks; the staff didn't insult people so willingly using free speech as an excuse. However, she held on to it as a reminder of how selfish some people could be-but to some degree she had to ponder if there was any truth to the statement.

As she left the restroom, she could smell the delicious aroma of fresh coffee swelling around her. It filled her with a strange sense of confidence. She was going to go outside and tell Trina's friends-something she never thought she'd call them-that she was going to turn down the offer for interview from Trina's boss. She didn't know where she was headed, but she was certain that she could hit stardom again; and surely that wouldn't happen if she was knee deep in filth.

Her eyes focused on the group through the café's window. Robbie and Beck were sitting lazily at the table. Cat looked quiet as ever with her head bent and eyes scanning a notebook. Meanwhile, Trina was leaning forward, her elbows resting on the table and hands in midair, as she looked to the dark-haired girl straight across from her. Jade, looking as cold as Tori remembered her to be, had her arms crossed, eyes narrow, and body slightly turned to the side.

"Why does Jade hate me so much? Hell, how did they all become Trina's best friends and just leave me behind like that?" She pushed the thought aside and started out the nearby door.

No sooner did she step outside than did her eyes spot a paper bag crumpled up on the floor just beside a trashcan. With a disgusted groan, she knelt down to pick it up and throw it away. "How can you be so blind? She's going nowhere, and you know it…" Tori heard Jade utter. She froze, her eyes drifting up as she stayed out of sight.

"She's my sister. I can't just give up on her."

"That's the only saving grace right now," Beck replied with a near nonchalant air. "We know how it sounds, but Trina, she's changed. She's not this innocent little sister you once knew."

Then Cat laughed, a sound so offensive that it pierced Tori's ears as if someone jabbed a sharp object into them. "Beck, Trina's never seen Tori like that. You know how much Tori picked on her, I'm surprised Trina wants anything to do with her."

"And the only one that does," Robbie muttered. Tori looked down with a frown, her eyes flooding with tears as her heart screamed and thrashed from within. "I mean hell, Trina, didn't your parents even say they don't have a lot of faith in her?" Tori squinted, her trembling hand lifted to her chest and she turned her head sideways.

"Not in so many words." Trina gave a heavy sigh. "They said they're not sure Tori will ever be able to adjust to normal life again."

"How many super pop stars have?" Jade inquired. "She's essentially on a road to nowhere, a downhill slope with no hope."

"Guys. I think she can do it." Tori smiled gently, her sister's words coming as a sign of light amid the darkness. "I mean sure, she could use a little smoothing out around the edges, but come on…she was once a much better person. I don't think she's too far gone."

"Key word: Once."

"Still. I believe in her." Tori poked her head around the trash can and looked at her sister, now sitting straight and nodding with confidence. The sun was setting behind her, giving a strange glow around Trina's outline, making her look almost angelic in Tori's eyes. "I know you guys think it's just because she's my sister that I'm obligated to believe in her; but it's not just that…"

"You like to believe in the good in people. It's a strength and a weakness at the same time." Jade's body relaxed a bit and she let out a heavy sigh. "I mean, you don't really think she'll follow through with that interview offer for the district?" Trina shrugged.

"If she's smart like I know she is, then she will. She's got nowhere else to go, nothing left to lose." Tori sank back, leaning against the trash bin and heaving a heavy sigh. "I've talked to Mr. James and he said he's willing to consider her for hire if she can manage to do well during the interview."

Andre leaned forward, extending his hand. "Even if she were to go to that interview, I can't imagine she has the professionalism to even be a success." He folded his arms and shrugged. "I'm sorry, but I don't believe she won't be conceived as too shallow; and I know Mr. James can't stand people too full of themselves."

"She can and will do just fine."

"All we're saying is it's a big responsibility you're taking on," Jade replied. This time the girl's expression was much softer, full of concern. "Just like your parents told you." Tori rolled her eyes and tried to deflect the stinging sensation; the fact that even her own parents didn't believe in her was enough to drive her insane. "Not only is she going to be a burden, she's going to be _your_ burden."

"She's a good person," Robbie said of Trina, "Tori treated her like a burden for years-throwing her aside like pieces of litter." Trina leaned her head sideways and sighed once more. "Now, all these years later, the tables have turned. Trina has no reason to possibly believe in her sister or want to help her, yet she is content in doing so."

Jade nodded, agreeing with Robbie. "That is true. It's more than I would do." There was a level of respect in Jade's eyes, the same respect that Tori could feel. It was amazing to think that Trina might ever believe she could rise up. "Still, Tori needs some severe help, one way or the other. This job, if she took it, would be good for her; but like the others, I doubt she'll even attempt it."

Beck shifted his hand through his hair. "If she could get her head out of her ass, maybe." Tori rolled her eyes and looked down at her coffee. "All she can see is herself and her diminishing spotlight; and I don't think she can ever get past that. She's probably scheming up ways to force people to recognize her."

"Almost like what you had done in high school," Cat pointed out. Trina shut her eyes and groaned painfully. "Only with more desperation and urgency."

"Those were difficult times," Trina answered, "Honestly, back then all I cared about was having someone, _anyone_ notice that I existed." Tori dropped her gaze and folded her arms over her stomach. The tears under her eyelids finally broke free and slid down her cheeks. "Everything I did was an attempt to get attention. Mr. Sikowitz, Lane and Jason helped me out of that rut…" The others sighed, almost wistfully.

"Jason…" Jade chuckled and shook her head. "He was quite the looker. Man could charm a snake just by talking to it, and scare a tiger with his stare." Tori raised an eyebrow and Beck let out a cough.

"Okay not so much." Beck leaned into his wife, who gave a nervous chuckle. "I think we're embellishing the man a bit."

"Yes."

"Those days are long gone," Trina remarked. There was a sadness in her voice that resonated with Tori, so much she could almost feel a downpour from the skies. "Things change, people change, times change. Jason's gone, but so is that scared, insecure woman that I used to be. I was hurting, I knew what it felt like to be stepped on and treated like shit-to be trapped, feeling like there isn't any hope or point in moving forward."

"Trina…" Tori whispered her name in one breath, shaking as her fingers tightened around her shirt.

"I didn't think things would ever get better. Well, now it's not me in the situation, and it was a long damn time before anyone gave me a chance-much less believed in me." Trina crossed her arms and furrowed her brow. "Even if Tori's become so shallow and self-centered, she's in a bad place right now. She's suffering, whether she knows it or wants to admit it."

"If she knows it," Andre replied. Tori clenched her fists and gave a light scoff. Trina shrugged.

"She needs somebody to give her a chance, to give her the time of day. The shit I went through, I wouldn't wish on anyone. I'd much rather help her than let her suffer. This isn't some sisterly obligation or familial blindness-" Trina reached up, patting her chest with her palm. "-This is me trying not to let someone go down the same road I went through. I know everyone in the world thinks she deserves what she gets; but everyone thought I deserved to die alone because I acted so insane."

"It's respectable," Beck muttered, "It is. Even still, there's a difference between you in high school and your super-star sister that steps on everyone but herself and refuses to acknowledge her own fuck ups because she sees herself as so perfect. She sees herself too good for anyone, you just wanted attention."

Robbie cleared his throat and leaned forward, folding one arm on table. "She clearly sees herself as too good for your job."

Tori wiped away the tears on her face and slowly looked to her purse. She really didn't want this job, she didn't want to wallow in filth or get so dirty she'd have to take a shower every hour; but now she felt something else sparking in her heart, a very small sensation.

When she looked around at Trina, she could feel it more; fearing disappointment. She didn't want to disappoint Trina, and she wanted to prove her friends wrong, she wanted to show them that she would go to this job interview. Not only would she do that, she would pass with flying colors and get the job.

It didn't matter that the group didn't believe in her, though she hated them for that. She wanted to show Trina that she wasn't wrong in believing in her. "I still don't see the pull to this job, but…" She grabbed her phone from her purse, along with a slip of paper that had Mr. James's number written on it. Without hesitation, she dialed the number.

The man answered after three rings, to which Tori gave a shaky reply. "Hello?" She stumbled through her greeting with embarrassment and raised her hand to her forehead. "This is Victoria Vega. Trina's sister."

"Ah yes! I've heard a deal about you, your sister told me you were looking for as job."

"I am."

"I hope you don't mind that it so vastly different than singing in front of a crowd; but it can be just as rewarding."

She mustered the best smile that she could and rose to her feet. "Yes." The group looked up and Trina turned around as Tori strode in their direction. "I understand, and I'm very interested in hire."

"Well, then you would be interested in an interview?"

"Yes, what time can I come in?"

"If you are available tomorrow, that would be great."

"Tomorrow?" She had literally nothing on her schedule, with the exception of a nail appointment. She heard Jade chuckle and glanced over as Trina informed the girl of Tori's 'much-needed-manicure'.

"No way she's missing that," Jade marveled.

"She'd almost have to," Trina whispered, "He does his interviews once a week, she'd have to wait another week for anything-and even then there's no guarantee he'd still be interested."

"Well, I guess she won't be-"

Tori cleared her throat loudly and put her hand down on Jade's shoulder, causing the girl to flinch. "Tomorrow will be just fine!" The smirk on her sister's face caused her heart to skip, she had to wonder when the last time her sister looked so proud of her was. Jade looked up at her, raising her eyebrows. "Can we do it at nine?"

Trina's lips formed an oval and she raised a hand to her chin. "That's the time of her appointment." Jade nodded.

"That works for me," Mr. James replied. "I will see you then."

"Thank you, and I look forward to it." She hung up the phone with a triumphant hum and met Jade's fiery stare. "I just got an interview with the school district for the position of custodian."

"Oh good job," Jade replied with an airy, dramatic tune. The woman pushed her hand away abruptly and hummed. "I can't wait to see how long you last if you get the job."

Trina laughed. "Jade, come on, don't be so hard on her."

"You'll be on the edge of your seat like the rest of us, Trina."

The next morning after a bitter cold shower in her motel room, she got dressed in the best, most professional outfit that she could. It wasn't much, just some dusty clothes left over from days past. When she moved away, Trina had given her a navy blue blazer, slacks, a light blue shirt and ascot. This was for any potential interviews that she might have with agents or other people of importance.

Tori hadn't worn it very often, but today it felt important. With her hair up in a bun, nails painted light brown, and fresh makeup, Tori couldn't help but to admire herself in the office mirrors while waiting her interview.

When she was finally called in, her entire body was shaking with nervous jitters. A very large part of her wanted to back out and run away, not because she was worried about the interview, but because she still was terrified of the job as though some part of her thought it might tarnish her image. Though Hudson's wife had done enough of that already.

Mr. James was a tall man in a checkered button up shirt and slacks, he wore a tie around his neck and appeared to be well groomed. He had greyer hair and eyes almost as grey, but strangely didn't seem to be a day over fifty.

Tori sat across from him and gently closed her hands together on the table. Her eyes met his bespeckled gaze and she mustered up the best smile that she could. "It's good to meet you," she said.

"Likewise. Your sister says you've come into some hard luck." She nodded, figuring it was better to be honest than try to deny and lie her way through a job interview. "I was checking through your records and it seems you've been charged in a driving incident?" His brow furrowed and the smile on her face faded quickly.

"Yes sir. I'm usually a much better driver, but on that particular day I let myself get distracted." Mr. James nodded again, clearing his throat.

"It appears that, thankfully, no one was seriously hurt in that. No doubt a terrifying experience for everyone involved." She closed her eyes and nodded. "Now, I assume Trina has told you the nature of this job?"

"She has."

"Is it something that you are willing to do?"

"It is." Tori heaved forth a heavy sigh and folded her thumb over her hand, then gently rubbed her hand in a circular motion. Tori's gaze fell to her knuckles and her voice grew softer. "For some reason, Trina wants to give a shot, and I know I need something. I don't have any long term goals because a lot has happened so quickly that I just don't know what I want to do. All I know is I need to get on my feet, and I'm willing to start with whomever will give me a chance."

Mr. James smiled, seemingly okay with her answer. "Well…let's just go over a few things and then we'll move from there."

"Okay."

After the interview, she returned to her motel room, overcome with great anxiety. She found her mirror and sat before it, gazing in silence. This was a strange look that she had donned, one that she hadn't seen in a long time. She looked just like Trina had many years ago when she wore this outfit herself.

The last time she'd seen Trina wear it was when she went on a formal date with Jason. It was one of the first few dates they had. Trina thought the outfit brought her luck, because she wore it when she got her very first job. Even though she looked like an airline stewardess in it, Tori thought her sister brimmed with confidence whenever she wore it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her phone, she blinked twice and looked down to see Mr. James's number lighting up the screen. Only a couple hours had passed, so she didn't think he'd be calling so soon.

Without hesitation, she answered and looked straight ahead at the woman in the mirror. It didn't look a thing like her. "Tori, I have good news. I've decided to move forward with you and send HR a recommendation for hire. Would you still be interested in the job?" Her heart skipped a beat and the woman smirked, her eyes flashing with the same confidence her sister bore many years ago.

"Y-Yes sir, of course."

"Fantastic! Now of course you'll want to wait for HR to pour over everything and give you a call." She nodded, never once looking from the woman who seemed shrouded in a mist of certainty. The woman leaned her head back, smiling while her eyelids slid halfway down. "Once that happens, you'll go in to interview with them and they will give you a starting date and let you know everything you need to about the job."

"Thank you so much!" Never did she think that she would be so happy to get a job offer, much less one of this nature. "I look forward to it."

"Look forward to having you on board. You have a wonderful day now."

"You too." She hung up the phone and eagerly texted Trina the good news. No doubt, Trina was getting ready for work at this point, which meant she might not get the text right away; but that was fine.

"Totally fine." The woman in the mirror seemed to chuckle and swept away a fallen strand of hair from her face. "That'll show them. Those naysayers. They didn't think I'd go through with it."

It was the first in quite some time that she felt so sure of herself; and this time Barbara couldn't ruin something before she got it. No, this was a victory; and just the first in what she hoped would be more to come.

* * *

So what are your thoughts? I thought it'd be nice to have the chapter start and end with her seeing two different perspectives of herself in the mirror. Though she's a long way off from being that strong, confident woman; but who knows, maybe she'll get there sooner than later. With Trina being the only one so resolute in giving her a chance, it seems Tori understands and appreciates that; but let's see if she can manage not to mess this one up.


	6. First Day Training

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 6 (First Day Training)

The motel room was still bleak, dark, and gaining in expense; but Tori was too proud to accept that she needed help. Her sister was still offering to provide her with a roof over her head that wouldn't cost her an arm and a leg, but she was too proud.

In her mind, she could see where she was and what everyone was saying; she was on a path to being a despot. Her fame had burst, very much like Jade's symbolism of a pop star. She could see the headlines now 'former pop star riddled by scandal and rumor brought down to cleaning trash from school grounds'.

At least, it was better than some, who succumbed to drugs, crime, and other drama. "You have to wonder," spoke the radioperson as Tori drove the cluttered rental down the road, "Where is Victoria now? After being shut out by the industry, she appears to have run back to Los Angeles, yet there's no sign of her relatives. Maybe even her own family has shut her out…more about that on ABC's documentary tonight at eight regarding fallen celebrities. Lindsay Lohan, Miley Cyrus, Justin Bieber, and now V.V. herself…we'll study this trend of fame, glory, and chaos."

Tori rolled her eyes and hit the power button, preferring not to listen to the radio at all. If rock bottom was a murky motel room and dusty rental car, then sure, she was easily heading that way. "I've still got a shot. I'm not out of it yet.

Today was her first day on the new job. Orientation had been at one, although the normal shift would be from three o'clock to eleven thirty. Today, she'd only work until nine thirty. Of course, the extra thirty minutes was due to lunch break.

She was wearing a faded green button up shirt with the school district above her left breast pocket. She also had on a pair of jeans, as long pants were required; it was the first time in a long time that she'd so much as touched a pair of jeans. Even longer still were her shoes, a pair of rubber soled tennis shoe. Her hair was up in a ponytail and she cut her nails short as suggested by her sister. Evidently, nails could be broken on the job.

She didn't get a chance to text Trina her training school-the school she'd be at for a week. All new custodians started in the flex crew, so they were not assigned a school yet. The flex crew was essentially a substitute, going to any school that an assigned custodian would call in sick.

Tori was eager to at least start, so much that she got worked up into a hurry when getting ready to go that she'd actually forgotten the name of the head custodian mentioned by Mr. James at her training school.

Mr. James was the overall supervisor of the department, there were two assistant supervisors for the evening crew. Mrs. Rochelle and Mr. Chez. Oddly enough, their names made her hungry; something of a joke she laughed at in her mind.

Pulling up to her training school, Tori sucked in a heavy breath of air. It was named after one of the senators way back in the day, Debbie Parra. There was a small circle drive and a hooded metal patio with steel pillars in the front. Glass doors lined the front, and rusty looking handrails ran down the wide ramp leading from the front doors.

Rather than go in the circle drive, fearing that would be for parents and school buses, she went into the only other entrance that she could see, the employee lot. As she drove in, her eyes zeroed in on an oddly familiar vehicle, a dark blue van that she often saw at the café when her sister's friends were hanging out together.

"Strange. Looks like Jade's car." She shrugged and parked in the spot next to it, then turned her eyes to the school. It bore an odd shape, semi rectangular, with three glass door entrances on sides. Two of them were farther inwards while the one closest to the street jutted out, taking a T shape from the side. The exit farthest out had a small gated play area directly in front of it.

Tori sucked in a deep breath and exited the car while grabbing the brown folder with all her paperwork, including the time card which she was to write her hours down on. "Guess I should get started…" Remembering what Mr. James told her, she opted to follow the sidewalk along to the front doors where a small doorbell and camera would be waiting for her to reach the office staff.

Once the let her in, she took note of the front lobby, it resembled an open mouth almost, with the office windows directly overlooking the front doors. The corners of the "mouth" extended into two long hallways. The hallway on her right had a pair of double glass doors that seemed to open into a different looking hall. Each hallway had an open path which likely were vertical halls. "Nice symmetry…" Tori entered the office and waited anxiously as the staff alerted the head custodian. It was now three o'clock, so the night crew would have been there by now; and most elementary school heads were at night.

Turning her head towards the lobby outside, her eyebrows rose when she saw Trina walking up to the front door. "Oh my god." She threw her hands up over her mouth and withheld a scream as the blonde haired receptionist glanced her way. Trina opened the door and her eyes connected with Tori's, her eyebrows went up in surprise.

"You're the trainee this week?" Trina chuckled. "Well, I wasn't expecting that." She smiled and motioned her hand inwards. "Come on Tori, let's get going." Tori got up fast and bounced over to her sister, thrilled to see her. "My partner is on vacation this week, so I'll be training you."

"Does that mean you'll go easy on me?" She laughed, knowing her joke was unlikely. Trina studied her a minute, then laughed. As they exited the office, she noticed a change in Trina's posture. She looked taller than ever before, her shoulders broadened and her arms swaying gently at her sides with her hands closed as she moved in a powerful gait. Her eyes seemed to focus on the path her feet were taking.

"I'll give you a quick tour of the school. Debbie Parra is one of the smaller schools in the district." Tori nodded, remembering what Mr. James said about the training schools.

"Mr. James said the training schools are all elementary schools, and usually the smaller ones."

"That's true. There's so much to do that you trainees can't focus solely on their training at larger places." Trina walked her down one of the first two hallways she spotted, the one that had been on her left that extended towards the parking lot. "This is the kindergarten hallway. The four classrooms at the very end have restrooms within them." Tori nodded slowly, opting to remain silent. Trina was taking a much different persona today, no longer just her sister but in position of authority.

They made their way to one of the custodian closets, it sat in the middle of the hall and straight across from a restroom. As Trina opened the door, Tori took in everything inside the closet. There was a bookshelf at the back wall lined with gallon jugs of chemicals. Along the right wall was a cart, as well as two mop buckets and mops.

Trina held up two fingers. "Each custodial closet needs two buckets and two mops. One is for clean and shine day as well as the hallways, while the other is for restroom only." Tori furrowed her brow and tilted her head a bit.

"What is clean and shine day?"

"We'll get to that. That day is where we have to mop the floors with this…" Tori grabbed a gallon jug of pink colored chemical slightly resembling pepto bismol. It was labeled Clean and Shine. "One day in a week this school, every school, gets burnished and before that we have to mop the hallways." Tori blinked twice and looked at the pebble tiled floors. "There's a lot to take in, so I'm not going to try explaining everything all at once, okay? I'm going to explain as we go along. The first day, you need to know your basic daily duties above all else."

"Okay." As she peered down the hallway outside the closet, she saw what appeared to be pencil shaped signs with names on them, each name pointing towards a classroom. "So the names are the teacher names, I assume?" Trina gave a nod and Tori looked back at the mops. "So this closet is…"

"Primarily this is my closet, or used for the person that tends to the restrooms. I'll train you on that in a bit." Trina leaned her head to the right. "Of course, I prefer the floor specialist, which is where you'll be. Head custodians get the pick of their roles."

"I see."

"I'll usually take on my partner's role when certain flex crew members come in, mostly because this school is very particular about how things get done." Trina paused for a minute, then chuckled. "That's between me and you." Nodding once again, Tori latched her hands behind her back and inhaled slowly. "That said, let me show you to my partner's closet."

Trina shut the door behind her and the began walking towards the lobby. Partially to the lobby, Tori took a look at the vertical hallway they passed, seeing glass doors at the far end and a very small patio with concrete stairs going down. "What is down there?" Before reaching said doors was a set of steps that led to a square section and open area.

Her sister whirled around and started down the hallway with a shrug, apparently deciding to change their path. "Okay, one thing you're going to see about this school is it's very symmetrical. Imagine everything you see in this wing mirrored on the other wing."

"Understood."

The first door they passed belonged to the principal's office. After her door was the music teacher's door. Tori smiled gently and peered inside as she passed, spying a small Yamaha keyboard.

Just after the music instructor's room was the first intersecting hallway. To her right, a door to the school's workroom, and then wooden doors leading to a stage. "On that side, the cafeteria and stage. The daytime custodian deals with the cafeteria, as well as the gymnasium, you'll have to talk to her later on."

"Okay."

"To your left, the first grade hallway." There were four classrooms in that hall, then the double doors that she saw from outside. They walked a bit farther down, stopping at a small custodial closet between the two intersections. Trina opened it up, revealing much more in the way of chemicals and boxes. "This is our storage closet. Everything in here, you take out if you need something." There was also a single mop and bucket. In a small alcove space was what looked like a steel trash can on wheels with a large metal handle.

"What's that?"

"The wet-vac. I'll train you on that in a bit, it does as the name suggests." They moved down the line to the next intersection, which had the second grade hall to the right, then a bathroom and steps leading down to doors opening into the cafeteria. Directly in front of them were the steps she'd pointed out before.

As they walked down, she noticed a tiny carpeted L-shaped hallway to her right. As they entered, the first door belonged to the speech teacher, as noted by Trina. "This hallway extends farther out than the other side, as you can imagine, because this is where the teacher's lounge is."

The teacher's lounge was a small room with three tables, each had four plastic chairs around them. There was a countertop against the back wall with a sink, microwave, and Keurig machine on the countertop. Next to the counter was an ice cabinet, then a water dispenser nestled between that and the large refrigerator. After the refrigerator, a table with a mini fridge and two cabinets, the cabinets were full of snacks.

"The music teacher brings candy, meal type foods, and drinks….the snacks and drinks are a dollar, and the meal items are two dollars." Tori furrowed her brow and Trina cleared her throat. "The funds go to the school's arts and music program." Her heart lifted a bit and she looked to the small alcove at the right of the lounge, this had a white tiled floor section and a sink, then a bathroom nestled behind the wall.

They left the lounge and Trina began pointing out the bathrooms. "Remember the first four bathrooms I pointed out?" She had to think on it for a minute, now deciding she had to remember everything Trina said.

"They're in the last four kindergarten rooms?"

"Right. There is a faculty restroom right in front of the custodial closet in that hallway as well. You also have a bathroom in the teacher's lounge. Six so far, correct?"

"Correct."

As they passed the first intersection, just up the steps, Tori pointed to the restroom in the hall leading towards the cafeteria. It was the girl's restroom. Passing that, and moving past the custodial closet was a boy's restroom. "Eight right there?" Trina smiled, a proud gleam in her eyes.

"You're catching on. Now remember, the other wing is mirrored."

"Then there's going to be a girl's and boy's restroom in the same general area?"

"Yep."

"Ten restrooms."

"Not done yet." They made it to the front intersection and just as they turned the corner, there were two more restrooms. One boy, one girl. Tori breathed in slow and registered them in their mind. They walked past the lobby, past a conference room and two water fountains, to stop at two more restrooms.

"Fourteen so far…"

They passed up the intersection and walked through the glass doors into a white tiled hallway. They came upon a library, to which Trina pointed out a fifteenth restroom within. At the far end was the gymnasium. "There's a restroom in the gym as well, but again, the daytime custodian handles that."

"Understood."

They started back towards the intersection they passed up, and Tori looked to the classrooms on this wing. Five, four between the intersection and the glass doors, and one just in front of the restrooms; it was just like the other side. A sign designated these classrooms as belonging to third grade. "They really do take symmetry seriously here, huh Trina?"

"Just the way it was designed originally."

"I like it."

Trina smiled. "So do I…" They walked down the corridor, stopping in the first intersection. The fourth and fifth grade rooms were to the left while the hall leading to the cafeteria stage was to the right. Passing those, the sixth grade rooms were at the farthest intersection. They stopped at the custodial closet on the end and Trina guided her inside.

"This is my partner's room. Usually the flex crew will be handling this closet." Tori nodded. It was small and narrow, with a sink directly in front of them, two bookcase shelves on the walls, one on either side, and a backpack vacuum sitting on a small shelf designed for it that was bolted to the wall.

There was a small alcove between the sink and shelving on the right, where a buffer machine was seated, and two mop buckets just before it. A trash can was in the center of the room, while a broom and long stemmed dustpan hung from nails on the shelves to the right. "So much to take in."

"It can be." Trina reached into the alcove where several wooden planks on the walls bore hooks which dust mops hung from. "These. You'll use to sweep the floors. It's the first task you'll do when you get here every day. That, and, getting the scuff marks off the tiled floors."

"Sounds boring…" Trina shook her head and laughed. "I'm just saying, not trying to be vain or anything with that; but um…"

"Oh no, I agree with you." Tori grinned as Trina unhooked the dust mop. "They're the two boring parts of the job; but they can be peaceful in their own way." Trina also reached to the top of the shelves on the right and pulled down a long mop handle with a tennis ball attached at the top. She brought it over, raising her eyebrows at Tori. "Take this, please."

"What's this for?"

"The scuff marks."

"Oh…" She gripped the handle firmly, studying the tennis ball tip and grimacing at the dust and dirt gracing the tip. Trina might be surprised that she was listening so well; but if she was completely honest, she probably would be listening less if her trainer were someone else.

Perhaps that was the reason they sent her to Trina's school.

It was a smart move, Tori could respect that.

Students were crowding the halls, unsurprisingly, so they had to maneuver through them. Thankfully, they were making their way to the exits, giving them some leeway. "Watch how I do this." Trina placed the dust mop on the floor, with the edge pressing against the wall. She started to point ahead, mapping out a route with her fingers. "We hug the walls, wrap around, hug the other walls and return. Then, we go down the center."

"Okay."

"I want you to also study the floor, I will too. Any markings you see, scrub it with that ball." Tori nodded and positioned the ball towards the floor. Trina motioned to Tori's other hand. "Works better with two hands."

"Got it…" She gripped the rod firmly and narrowed her eyes on the floor. Trina leaned down, using the light above to reflect the floor. "Matter of fact, there's one right there."

"What?" She leaned down, squinting in an attempt to see what Trina was talking about. "Where?"

"Look harder, it's faint. Use the light above to aid you." She did so, adjusting her perspective until she saw the faintest line possible. She scrubbed it clean, then followed Trina as she moved along the wall. "Good. Now, when dust mopping, always remember to hug the perimeter."

They moved along the halls and Tori smiled gently as she watched her sister. "Funny how they put me here to train, huh?" Trina's shoulders rose and fell.

"To tell the truth, I asked if they would. I didn't know if they would, though." Her mouth formed an oval and Trina cleared her throat. "Are you watching to make sure no trash rolls off or is missed?"

"Oh. Yes." She looked back on the floor and sighed. "So, you might be a perfectionist."

"Yep. Pays to be. Especially because you might have some teachers or staff just as much of a perfectionist." Trina looked over and winked once. "We'll get to the fun stuff soon, don't you worry."

"Sure." Tori ran her hand along the back of her neck and started to hum. "So I'll report here for this first week?"

"Yep. You want to carpool? Save some money."

It sure wouldn't hurt, and Trina had already offered something, even if it was just her couch. "I guess. I could stay at your place just for the week, perhaps." Trina nodded and turned back around. In that instant, Tori caught the flash of a triumphant smirk. She raised an eyebrow and sighed.

For the other wing, Trina let her do the dust mopping while following behind. It was rough, because some trash would roll away and she'd gloss over some objects stuck in the baseboards. Trina often stopped her to point it out, which got a bit annoying at first, but she understood.

"Now Tori, I remember you saying that this job was 'pointless' and no one appreciated it." Tori froze while Trina vacuumed off the dust mop and hung it back up. "So." Trina set the vacuum down and looked to the calendar taped to the door. It had letters written on each day: "A" for side A, "B" for that side, and "H" for holidays. Each school was divided in A or B, with some classrooms done each day, including the office.

Trina stroked her chin and looked back at the school map. "There is an English teacher here. On the second day, her room gets pretty messy and it gets vacuumed today. We're going to skip it." Tori's jaw dropped and Trina flashed a subtle smirk. "Then tomorrow, we're going to see what she and her children say."

"Are you _sure_?"

"Positive." Trina handed her the broom and dust pan. "Now. Let's get started sweeping the restrooms."

* * *

So training begins. Trina doesn't seem to be one to just arbitrarily skip a teacher's room, so this must be planned. What English teacher might we know that perhaps has been a test subject before? I guess Trina wants to teach Tori that people view the job with importance, and it looks like she might be planning something more in that Tori has decided to stay at her place for a week. Let's see how the rest of the day and week pans out.


	7. The First Lesson

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 7 (The First Lesson)

The closets were full of equipment that Tori had never seen before, and astonishingly to her she was eager to learn about all of them. Still, Trina was only training her one thing at a time, making sure she understood everything. Currently, they were outside, gathering the orange cones from the entrance of the circle drive.

"We put these out at two o'clock." Trina had three cones stacked over each other and effortlessly lifted them and placed them over the fourth that rested on the dolly. Tori shook her head and grabbed the last two cones, grunting as she heaved them up and over the remaining. "Or the day custodian sets them out, we need to get them in by three-thirty."

"Why?"

"That is when the buses come to pick up any children left." Tori followed her sister to the front doors where Trina unlocked the door and held it open for her. Once inside, they set the cones beside the rectangular table to the left. "And from here we finish sweeping the restrooms. Remember what I told you regarding them?"

"Yes." Tori sucked in a heavy breath and closed her eyes. "Sweep up any foreign object, and flush any toilets. If there are any clogged toilets, try to unclog them."

"And?"

"Check behind the trash barrels for any paper towels left behind."

Trina clapped and Tori felt a sense of pride, if only for a moment. "Good job!" They hurried through the restrooms. "Announce your presence every time. If there is a student in the restrooms, wait until they have left." Tori nodded again, her left foot tapping the ground.

Eventually they made their way to the vacuum in the closet. Trina put her arms through the padded straps and began to fasten the two belts. "It is always a good idea to fasten these." Tori nodded again, exhaling softly. She watched her sister grab the coiled up cord and waited as she moved out of the closet. "Okay. It shouldn't be hard to pick up, I will do a few rooms and then see how you do."

"Got it."

They made their way to the other side and went to the hall farthest back where the first grade classrooms were. Tori squinted her eyes at the signs above the doors, wanting to learn the names of the teachers. She had an easier time remembering names. There were four teachers in the first grade hall.

 _Mrs. Oliver, Mr. Cole, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Cannery_. She raised an eyebrow at the classroom farthest back, but before she could ask, Trina pointed to the teacher's door. "That is our English teacher that we'll be skipping today." Tori hummed softly and walked up to the door, peering inside. Her eyes widened when she saw the paper bits and wrappers all over the floor.

"Oh wow."

"Come on this way." Trina guided her into Mrs. Cannery's room, which didn't look too bad. There was a horseshoe table, a few desks and bookcase. "Now, keep an eye on me and keep the time in mind. Always find your outlet, assess the room." Trina scanned the room with quick eyes, walked to the countertop on the left and plugged in the yellow cord. Without hesitation, she turned on the vacuum and began a two-handed scrubbing motion along the floor. "If you can see it, suck it up."

"And if it's too large for the vacuum?"

"Then you pick it up."

"Makes sense…" Trina whizzed through the room in just under five minutes. Tori whistled softly and scanned the area, seeing it free of debris. She did the same with Mr. Cole's room full of cubicles and with Mrs. Johnson's room. Skipping Mrs. Oliver, Tori felt a strange feeling in her gut, unsure if she really wanted to leave that room unclean.

Trina did another couple of rooms in the second grade hallway before giving Tori the vacuum. The weight caught her off guard, causing her to lose her balance for a second. She fought with the hose as it spun the wrong way on top of the back pack, and struggled to untangle the cord. Trina crossed her arms and smirked.

"Remember to coil the cord every time you're done. Make a lasso with it." Tori grumbled softly and plugged in the cord. She started through the room, grumbling louder as the hotdog shaped vacuum head got stuck on the chair legs.

On occasion her cord would get caught as she tried to go around desks. "Remember, take the path of least resistance. You'll have a much easier time, Tori." Tori nodded and retraced her steps then went around another group of desks. Trina pointed to a small wooden stick thing in the carpet, followed by a couple crumbs beneath another desk. "You forgot something."

"Ah!" She hung her tongue from her lips and scrubbed the area, growling as it proved difficult to get up. Trina shook her head and knelt down, removing a metal scraper from her back pocket. "What's that?"

"Razor." She pushed the switch forward, revealing the razor, then scraped up the tough object. "Some things get stuck in the carpet and you need to use this to get them out. Same with any gum or other debris on the floors."

"Oh." She rolled her eyes, groaning at the thought of scraping gum from the ground. "Wonderful."

"It's not glamorous, sure, but it grows on you."

"Not that I'm disagreeing or complaining, but do tell me how this grows on you."

"You may develop a sense of pride." They moved along the hallway, with Trina checking the floors and area as she moved. "I remember when we were teenagers, you were just like me in wanting to make sure everything was clean and looking nice." This was true, she'd always been a bit of a neat freak when she was younger. Both of them had that personality, unable to stand filthy conditions; but if she remembered right, Trina had always been the one more anal about it while she was the one who simply complained that things looked disgusting and horrible.

"You were always the one to do something about the mess long before I would."

"Sure, I suppose so." Trina guided her into the cafeteria and stopped on the stage to overlook the area. There were two ramps going down from the sides of the stage, as well as a set of steps on either side of the stage. The cafeteria was long and huge, with tables set up in the back, but open area towards the front, with chairs lining the outer railing of the ramps. "So this is the cafeteria, usually when they do assemblies or PTA events, we'll help set these chairs up and whatnot."

"Alright."

Next to the double doors at the bottom of the ramp on the left hand side was another door, swung open. Trina pointed to it. "That is where the drama class meets. This school didn't have a theatre class before our current drama teacher, he's the first. He petitioned for one and had to put on a successful production in order for the school to add one."

"Awesome."

"His class gets cleaned every other day as well. Since it's in the cafeteria, it can be easy to miss." They moved towards the room and peered inside. It looked fairly clean, with the exception of tiny slivers of paper here and there. "Okay, attention to detail is crucial with this job. You miss things, teachers complain. They don't like filthy rooms."

"Why do I get the feeling one or two of the teachers currently here might just complain without care?" Trina raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"No, none of them do that. Even if they don't like you. You do a good job, they respect that. Besides, any false complaints are frowned upon, and I'll usually call out a bad complaint if I need to."

"Okay."

"Plus, you're in training this week. Some teachers, even the ones that expect perfection, don't expect perfection from a trainee. The goal there is to surprise us with perfection, as well as time management skills."

"Okay." Tori walked into the theatre room. It was small, with a couple tables and a white board on the far wall. There was a prop cabinet in the back, and a teacher's desk in the far right corner.

Scanning the wall, she found an open outlet near the desk and plugged it in. Her eyes drifted to Trina, who was leaning against the door frame with her arms crossed. Wanting to do well for Trina, she flipped on the switch and began to vacuum the room.

She moved slowly, trying to get everything she could; but Trina kept telling her she needed to move faster. It was rough, because speed and precision didn't always go hand in hand.

When she was done, she waited for Trina to check the floor. With a pleased nod, they left the room. Trina pointed to a black rubber object on the door and slid it forward. "This is a lock block, used to keep the door open when it's locked. We'll put these out of place when we're done."

"I see. And do we turn the lights off always?" She followed Trina's gaze to the now empty trash can near the door.

"If the other person hasn't been in the room yet, or the teacher is still in the building, leave the light on. If you're the last one in the room and the teacher's gone for the day, turn off the light and lock the door. Unless of course you have to go back."

"Why would we have to go back?"

"Spot treatment or any other reason. Sometimes it helps to double check later on for anything you might have missed while vacuuming."

"So why are they pushing the speed thing when vacuuming? Don't they realize that you can't have perfection if you're rushing through the job…you have to slow down." Trina smiled and nodded, which was odd that she'd agree to that statement.

"Well the thing we tell the _trainees_ , as well as the flex crew, is to move fast because you have other things you have to do. What they're looking for is that you can do time management well. The ones that show good time management are the ones that get assigned a school, the ones that do a very good job get assigned a school."

"Once you get a school?"

"Then it's your home. Then, take your damn time. Granted, you shouldn't be vacuuming for all eight hours of yours shift, but you need to take care to get everything."

She understood this, though it seemed strange yet. They walked to another custodian closet in the corner of the back end of the cafeteria. When Trina opened it, Tori saw a shelving case right at the wall of the tiny rectangular room. In the back was a large machine hooked up to a battery. "What is that thing, Trina?"

"We call that the eco-machine, or the machine for short. When you need to clean the floors, you use it. I'll show you how to hook it up in a while later"

"Got it. Are we almost done vacuuming?"

"Almost. Finish up and I will go check on my partner to see how they're coming along with mopping the restrooms. That's usually your next task, but of course there's three of us today."

"Right…"

That night she drove back to her motel and sank onto the edge of her bed, she was exhausted yet alert at the same time. It was strange. During their lunch break, Trina had left to go to her apartment, and the other person did the same, leaving her alone in the darkening building.

Now, she had time to mull over everything. It was definitely different than she thought it'd be, and part of her actually enjoyed the vacuuming portion. Then, when Trina showed her how to mop the restrooms well, she had to recall going along the border wall, hitting under the sinks and urinals first, then the stalls, and moving in a left and right position back out of the restrooms.

Tomorrow her shift would be normal, she'd report to the school at three o'clock. Trina was going to swing by to pick her up, then take her over to her apartment for the week. She still wasn't sure she wanted that, but as she looked around at her empty motel room, she did feel the sting of loneliness.

"Tomorrow's a new day, I guess." She laid down on the bed and closed her eyes, her chest expanded slowly as the moonlight shone bleakly through the dusty curtains.

It was barely ten o'clock, a far cry from the time of night she usually went to bed; but her energy was shot and she was bored. She didn't want to go out, much less could hardly afford to.

The next evening, Trina guided Tori to Jade's first grade classroom. It was a mess, one of the worst seen in a while. Trina was shocked with how much built up. Jade stepped outside with her and peered in at the tissue, paper, and other trash scattered around the room that her children were grumbling about.

It came as no surprise to her when she saw Tori's jaw drop upon seeing Jade. After all, she didn't tell Tori outright, but anticipated that the girl would have suspected something when she saw Jade's name on the pencil sign.

Tori entered the classroom and the children were all looking at her with mixed expressions. "So." Jade crossed her arms and looked up at Trina. "Clearly my kids have been playing in trash all day."

"And did you have them do what I suggested?"

Jade extended her hand as the children walked up to Tori. "See for yourself."

"You skipped our classroom?" One boy asked with a trembling voice. Tori raised her eyebrows as the boy threw a crumpled up piece of paper into the trash can. "Why? Don't you care about doing a good job?"

"But-" Tori looked around as other kids began to sniffle and bemoan having to hold class in an overly dirty room, as well as the fact that Jade's classroom was done every other day, meaning it was only going to get worse.

Tori started to break down as the children cried, telling her she was doing a horrible job and that she shouldn't be in a job that she didn't care about. "I'm sorry," Tori replied, "I didn't mean any harm."

"If you didn't mean any harm, you would have cleaned our room," answered one girl. "You're just lazy and horrible."

Trina shook her head as she watched the tears roll down her sister's face. "Children can be mean."

"Sure." Jade sighed. "I'm just thankful you don't do this experiment regularly. They are genuinely upset over their classroom still being dirty, but they didn't really want to complain about it. I told them to let Tori know how they felt."

"I'm sorry. I had to teach her something about how well valued and seriously people take this job."

Jade's eyebrows rose and she sucked in a deep breath. "I see that." Trina tilted her head, watching as Tori scrambled to pick up the trash on the floor, trying to get it all and throw it in the now overflowing trash can. "She does know that she doesn't have to do that right now, right?"

"I'm sure she does, but it's nice to see her taking the initiative." Trina coughed into her hand and called out to Tori, who stopped and turned her teary-eyed gaze to her. "You can take that trash bag out, you know. Clean this room later."

"But the kids, Trina, they're so upset. I-I have to clean the room."

"Yes, you do, but now's not the time."

Tori nodded, but still continued trying to pick up any scraps she could. Jade turned her head over and Trina looked back with a tight-lipped expression. "So. Still think I'm being too soft on her?"

"You just used children to get a point across, making her cry." Jade chuckled sorely and walked forward. "I retract anything I said about you being too soft on her. At least she knows she'd better take the job seriously."

"I think she will do a good job, she seems to be listening well."

"That's because you're her sister, I think; but she doesn't have a history of listening to you…maybe there's something to that." Trina smiled. "It's good that you're helping her though. I'll admit that much."

"Thanks Jade."

"Okay." Jade clapped her hands until her students gave her their attention. "That's enough, it's time to head home."

As the children filed out, following Jade, Trina entered the room and stepped beside Tori, who was kneeling on the floor. "You okay?" Tori shook her head.

"I knew we shouldn't have skipped this room last night."

"You're right, we shouldn't have." Trina knelt in front of her, hanging her arm over her raised knee. Tori looked up at her, her expression softening. "This is what we do. We keep the campus clean for the teachers, for the students, so they can function and hold class in sanitary conditions. They want a clean room and are highly appreciative of the work we do. We aren't less than anyone, we're equal to everyone."

She reached into her back pocket and removed a small, folded piece of paper. Tori's eyes fell to it and the girl held her breath as she unfolded the paper. "Here. Read this. Some students gave this to me a while back." Tori took the paper, her fingers crinkling the edges as she read aloud.

"From Mrs. Smith's homeroom. Miss Vega, thank you for all that you do keeping our school clean." Tori's voice trembled and the corners of her lips started to rise. "We love coming to school every day, seeing how shiny the floors look and how clean our room is. Thank you so much for the desks being neat and without smudges. We don't know what we'd do without you here, making sure our school looks the best it possibly can!"

Tori's eyes scanned the bottom of the page and she started to chuckle. "Look, all the kids and the teacher tried to sign their name"

"Yep." Trina took the paper back and folded it up. "So I want you to remember that, and remember what happened here today, whenever you start to think what you do is trivial and unimportant. People notice, people care. To me, this is one of the most important jobs in the district. You understand?"

"I understand."

Satisfied, she stood and helped Tori to her feet. "Good. Let's get started. I want you to focus on your initial tasks that I showed you."

"Okay."

As Tori stood in place, Trina looked off to the hallway. "Well?" She walked out and looked over her shoulder, seeing Tori look at the messy classroom. "Let's get to it. Consider this room an extra one, you'll have to vacuum it tonight regardless. Then tomorrow as it's on tomorrow's side, of course."

"Okay."

"Once you're done, I will show you a few other things."

* * *

What are your thoughts here? Reckon Tori got the message? Sure it seems a bit harsh, but I think Trina got her to start understanding how seriously the job is taken. She has a long way to go, so let's see what happens. What are your predictions?


	8. Fragile Souls

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 8 (Fragile Souls)

The day seemed to drag on for a bit, and Tori wasn't too thrilled with how hot and sweaty she'd gotten over time. Remembering everything she had to do wasn't easy, and she certainly wasn't enjoying it for the most part. It wasn't the job she didn't enjoy as much as it was her own thoughts.

Being left alone in the building, doing nothing but vacuuming or mopping, her mind would wander about. All she could think about right now was how far she must have fallen to get all her friends to not only hate her, but trade her for Trina.

Even Jade, who still seemed so bitter towards her didn't appear hostile in the slightest to Trina. Things had certainly changed, and she wasn't sure just how much. Even Trina seemed far different than she was as a teenager; she'd become tougher, more independent and stronger-as though the two of them traded places.

"How come you didn't tell me that Jade taught there, Trina?" She looked up from the hands folded in her lap and over to the driver's seat of Trina's car. Her sister had both hands wrapped around the wheel and eyes fixated on the streetlights in front of them. Trina gingerly raised a hand and tucked a strand of hair from her bangs.

"Well." She smirked and her eyes flickered to Tori for a brief moment. "If I told you all the spoilers, you wouldn't be surprised enough." Tori chuckled slightly and raised her shoulders.

"I'm not one for surprises."

"Fair enough." Trina's hand fell back to the steering wheel just as the streetlight turned green. "I didn't want you getting any preconceived notions about the job or be distracted by the fact that Jade is a teacher there." Or her husband, apparently. While vacuuming, Tori discovered the school's drama teacher was Mr. Oliver.

"Beck must be the popular teacher on campus." Tori tried to muster a smile, remembering how big he was in high school. Trina's eyebrows curled together and lifted up towards the center.

"No, actually that distinction belongs to the sixth grade math teacher, Mr. Jay." Tori's lips formed an oval and she leaned her head back. "Remember, the school didn't have a drama department before Beck came in. He was unpopular for that, they're still watching, hopeful he can make it work. Before that, the art teacher and the music teacher had the floor. They still do, but you know…"

"I see." It couldn't be easy to be where Beck was, trying to make something new work. "I was vacuuming up Jade's room. Saw she had pictures of her family and friends." Trina nodded slowly, her foot pushing down on the brake as they came to another red light. "Saw a nice young girl in some of their pictures. They look happy."

"They are, and that girl is her daughter."

"Huh?" Tori jerked her head back in disbelief. An awkward feeling came over her, fueled by a sense of doubt. "That can't be." Trina arched an eyebrow as Tori started to scoff. "Did she adopt?" Trina looked away, gazing off into the distance for a bit.

"No. No they didn't adopt. That is her daughter, but I've already said enough on the subject." Trina rolled her head back, her voice seeming to deepen. "Want to know more, you can ask Jade." With a huff, Tori crossed her arms.

"Jade hates me, won't even talk to me. I don't know what the hell I did to piss her off." She threw up her hands and raised her voice just a bit. "Hell, all I did was move. I did nothing to her."

"It wasn't what you did, but what you didn't do." She didn't understand, nor did she think she would. "Believe it or not, not everything is about you directly. She doesn't hate you, but there was a time when you could have been there for her and you weren't."

"Please." She let out a heavy sigh and dropped her forehead to the window. "How could I be when I was miles away? Doesn't anyone understand that?"

"They do, but they have a hard time believing you couldn't pick up a phone." Trina smiled sadly and Tori studied her, trying to take it all in. There seemed to be more of a sadness in Trina's eyes, one that she didn't comprehend. "I've had friends, _have_ friends, who live on the other side of the country and even some an ocean away."

"But you don't have agents and directors demanding your attention every waking moment."

"No. I have my job." Trina dropped her shoulders and her nostrils expanded as the car started to move. "That's all I really have to worry about right now."

"You mean you don't have anything else to do in your life?" Tori raised an eyebrow. "Just work and sleep?"

"No. I have my pets, my parents." Trina blinked and craned her head back a bit. "Which, by the way, mom says they haven't heard from you since I took you to see them." Tori shifted her gaze away and sucked in a heavy breath. "What's going on? Why haven't you talked to them?"

"Just haven't had the time, I guess." She tucked a strand of hair over her ear and shut her eyes. It wasn't that so much as she couldn't bring herself to see them. She didn't want to be reminded of the decrepit state they were in. "I'll try to give them a call tonight."

"They've heard that before, Tori."

"I _mean_ it." She got a sense that even Trina seemed to still have doubts about her. Though her sister wouldn't say it, it was clear as day the girl still felt like she couldn't be fully trusted or taken at her word.

It hurt, because it started to feel like she was truly alone. In this reason, this was why she refused any of their help. She was independent, she didn't need any of them. If they didn't want her around, well then she wouldn't be around.

"So where are we going?"

"Hills Junior High, where Robbie works." Tori rolled her eyes and looked away, half wondering if she should wait in the car. She didn't want to, but knew Robbie wasn't likely to be happy to see her. "I have to pick something up he was repairing for me."

"Want me to wait in the car?"

"Nah, come on inside with me." Trina smiled warmly, enticing her for a moment. She smiled back at her sister and curled her fingers gently in her hair. "He won't bite. Not with me around anyway."

"I'm not a glass doll, you know." She frowned in an instant as Trina let out a long sigh. "I don't need you to get all protective of me or anything. I can take care of myself just fine."

"I suppose." There was the doubt in her voice once more, she could hear it loud and clear. Shifting her gaze to the side mirror, she studied her own gaze and seemed to get lost in it. The girl looking back did look like she could break as easily as glass, though Tori couldn't feel it. She didn't think herself fragile, at least she didn't need anyone else thinking of her in that way.

"Just you watch, I'll make it back to the top again. I will, and I'll do it all by myself."

"I hope you do, Tori, I really do."

At the junior high, they had to walk quietly to not disturb any classes. It was lunchtime, just a few hours before they had to be going to work. Whatever it was Trina needed from Robbie, she needed it before the end of night or next day.

Upon making it to Robbie's class, they found him with only a few students in the room. Tori noted a group of girls laughing and doodling in the front, a couple boys in sports jersey in the center tossing a football to one another, and another group of kids in the back right corner with their noses in textbooks.

Robbie stood from the desk in the front of the room, addressing Trina as she entered. "Nice timing, I just dismissed my class for lunch." He opened a desk drawer and Trina laughed. "Got your dad's watch fixed good as new for you."

"Thanks, I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

Tori moved forward, stunned none of the students in the room paid her any mind. Granted, the girls towards the front were glancing to and from her while snickering, which seemed odd. She didn't want to imagine what the sports boys might be thinking, and the kids studying were far too fixated on their books.

However, there was something that did draw her attention. In the left corner, as far back as the room could go, sat a young girl no older than twelve of age. She had a slightly round face with sunken cheeks, messy brown hair protruding from a black beanie and sloppily cut at her neck. She wore a dirty t-shirt that covered another shirt with long blue sleeves, and dusty blue jeans.

There wasn't anything on the girl's desk aside from small textbook on painting. It was shut. Her chestnut eyes seemed fixated on her, but at the same time, Tori felt as though they were looking through and beyond her-like she were invisible.

Tori looked over her shoulder to see Trina walking towards the door. She started to speak, but Trina beat her to the punch. "Be right back, Tori, just goi8ng to the restroom."

Tori nodded and looked at Robbie, who was returning to his desk. With hesitation in her feet, she made her way towards him. She bit her lip first, then spoke once she saw him look up at her. There was no disdain in his eyes, nor did she see any particular emotion. "Hey Robbie, who is that kid in the back? Why does she look so…I don't know…absent?"

Robbie lifted his head a bit, almost looking down his nose at the girl in the back. She was still staring straight ahead, not paying attention to much. After a few moments, the girl blinked and raised a hand to scratch at her head.

"That's Rachel. She's pretty quiet, keeps to herself and doesn't participate much in class. I can never get her to talk, but I've seen the work she hands in from time to time. She has potential." Tori hummed to herself and crossed her arms.

"Wonder why she's like that." She recognized one thing, and that was how lonely the girl appeared. It wasn't much she could think about now, but the blank expression the child had was chilling.

"Can't say much, other than it seems she's had a rough time of things." He leaned back in his chair, studying the child in the back. Tori noticed the girl finally opening her textbook and started to smile. "Far as I know, teachers say she's troublesome but she doesn't seem so to me. Just a bit withdrawn."

"Ah."

"Mother gave her up when she was a baby, I think." Robbie leaned over the papers on his desk. Tori started to frown and leaned against the wall. "Least that's what it says in her file. I'd ask you not to repeat that, as we're not really supposed to talk about those sorts of things."

"I won't repeat it."

"Sure." He chuckled wryly and smirked. "At least I hope not, after that twitter rant a while back." She rolled her eyes at the joke and shook her head. Of course they weren't about to let that go, still blaming her for the things that Hudson and his wife posted.

Just then the girl's head rose and Tori heard the door swing open. "Hey Tori." Trina's voice jarred her and she had to catch her breath before turning. "Let's go ahead and get moving, alright? Sorry for leaving you here by yourself."

"I told you not to worry so much about me, I'm not fragile." Trina rolled her eyes and disappeared around the wall. Tori followed without another word, not wanting her sister to get too far ahead.

When they reached the apartment, Tori waited as Trina greeted the two cats at the door. One was a bigger orange tabby with white paws and green eyes while the second was a much smaller black cat with a small head and tail that seemed twice her length.

"Seriously Trina, I can't get over it."

"What's that?" Trina laughed as the black cat rubbed her face against her body. Never had she pictured her sister with cats, certainly not more than one.

"You've always been a dog person, but you have two cats."

"Yeah, Prince here charmed the hell out of me at the pet store I worked at a while back, and Nikita reminded me of a former pet I had while involved in this one relationship a couple years ago."

"I see…when are you getting the dog?"

"Hopefully one day." Trina stood up and dusted her clothes off before walking into the kitchen. "Apartment says two pets max, so for now it's just the cats."

"Hope you're not in danger of becoming a cat lady."

"No danger of that." Trina pulled a chicken breast from the freezer and motioned to the window overlooking the car park. "By the way, mom left a car for you."

"Huh?" She walked to the window and looked down at a familiar red car nestled beside Trina's sedan. "Come on, really? She doesn't think I can deal with that myself?"

"She's just concerned about you. I got my own car and everything, this one is one of the old cars we had back in our teens. Mom and Dad don't drive it, so they felt like leaving it for you." What this entailed was someone drove Holly back home.

Squinting her eyes, she turned around and stared at Trina while moving her hands to her hips. "Something you want to tell me?"

"Yeah. That rental car of yours?"

"What about it?"

"Mom knows the people at the dealership. We went ahead and turned it in for you this morning while you were still sleeping." It was crafty, and surprising. The only way to have done that was by pulling some serious strings. "So, you now have your own vehicle you won't have to worry about making payments on."

"Trina!" She let out a whine and walked over to the corner of the room, heaving a heavy sigh. "I don't want special treatment. I'm stable enough."

"Agree to disagree and I'll make you a sandwich." Tori pouted and sank on the couch in the center of the room. She fell silent and stared ahead at the blank screen, slowly shaking her head.

After a while, she began to think about the girl she saw earlier and wondered if Trina had noticed her. "Saw a kid in Robbie's class today, she looked like something was bothering her…" Trina looked over and Tori raised her head up. "Robbie asked me not to repeat anything, but you know…something felt off. Did you see the kid?"

"Can't say I did, Tori."

"She seemed so sad."

"Everyone is sad from time to time."

"Yeah but this was on a deeper level it looked like." She didn't know if anyone could really understand it. The girl looked as Tori felt, like no one got her world but herself. "Hey Trina? What's your opinion on people who give their babies up for adoption?"

When she looked over, Trina was standing over a plate with a half prepared ham and cheese sandwich. The girl seemed deathly quiet now, not bothering to look up from her work.

"Can't say I have much of an opinion either way. We don't know anyone's circumstance, some people simply aren't in the right time, place or mindset to raise a child and feel they have no choice but to give their baby up."

"But what about the kid? How does it affect them?"

"If I spent my time worrying about that, I'd go insane, Tori." Trina sealed up the bread, returned it to the refrigerator and started for the next room. She paused for a moment and looked over her shoulder. "Since when are you worried about that?"

Tori leaned forward, staring out the window now. "I don't know, I guess I'm not…" She closed her eyes, still visualizing the child's vacant expression.

* * *

So, any thoughts on this chapter at all?


	9. Day of Questions

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 9 (Day of Surprisea)

It was difficult resisting Hudson's phone calls, which she had multiple missed calls from. Thankfully the majority were not only during her work hours, but under Trina's watchful eye as the strict supervisor not allowing phone calls to be answered unless they were an emergency.

She wanted to speak to Hudson, but was too afraid of his wife. It was mind boggling how she allowed herself to be so taken advantage of or how she managed to get herself into such a situation, but try as she might she wasn't feeling confident about recovering.

Tori entered the sixth grade hall with her vacuum, ready for another day and hoping she could start moving a little faster. Trina kept grilling her on speed, but she was trying more for getting the trash off the floor in such a way that she didn't have a repeat of Jade's classroom.

Entering the classroom at the far end of the hall, she saw the lean teacher at his desk. He had a shaved haircut and blue eyes. "Hi there Mr. Jay." The teacher looked up and flashed a quick smile.

"How's it going, are you liking your first week so far?"

"It's interesting." She noticed a student sitting at one of the desks near the window, scribbling away on a sheet of paper. "Still have students working on homework?" This was the girl in the family photos Jade had, the one that Tori couldn't believe was Jade's child.

"Yeah. Opal's usually finishing up her homework before her mother's ready to head home." Opal raised her head up and flashed a toothy grin. Tori smiled back at her, though she wasn't sure how sincere she looked through the awkwardness. "I hope Trina isn't too hard on you. She's strict with the newcomers, but she wants them to be at their best."

"She's not too bad." Of course her sister was stringent on her, but she liked that more. "At least it seems like she cares about her job." Opal hopped out of her chair and walked over, scrunching her face a bit and pointing at her.

"I know you, you're Trina's sister. Mom's her best friend." Tori chuckled nervously and nodded. She wasn't about to lie to a kid, even though she didn't really want people knowing that she was Trina's sister. At least, not while on the job. It might be too easy to suggest that Trina would be lenient on her and let things pass, though she wouldn't typically do that.

"That's right." She sat on the corner of a nearby desk and folded her arms over her lap. "I knew your mother pretty well too back in the day. We used to be good friends." A subtle frown graced her face and she shifted her gaze to the side. "She's not too keen on me these days." Opal tilted her head.

"Why? You seem like a nice lady."

"Not sure. We just drifted apart, I think." She heard someone clear their throat and glanced to see Jade in the doorway. Tori stood hastily, her lips parting as the woman glanced past her. "Jade, hey."

"Hi." Jade was curt and walked into the room while hoisting her purse strap further up her shoulder. "Opal honey, it's time to go."

Opal hurried back to her desk to grab her homework. "Okay momma." The child scurried out the door and Jade started to turn away.

"Jade, that's your daughter?" Tori approached her cautiously, hesitating as Jade seemed to tense up before glancing over her shoulder. "She doesn't seem it-"

"Because she's not the same race?" Jade's eyes slanted and Tori started to cringe, not wanting to sound racist or make a statement that could be misinterpreted. "Yeah, she's mine. She's just barely eleven, had her during my first year of college."

Tori's mouth opened into an oval. "I didn't mean any offense, I just thought-"

"You didn't offend." Jade turned back around, shrugging her shoulders. "This isn't the time or place for discussion."

"First year of college, huh? I think that was around the time-"

"You got discovered and suddenly glory and fame was more important than your friendships." Her heart sank and she looked down as Jade walked towards the door. "Have a good shift, Tori." The woman's words didn't sound as sincere as she would have liked or thought. As Jade left, Tori could hear Mr. Jay whistle.

"Not every day I see tension from her…" Tori flinched, turning around to see the teacher shaking his head. "Usually one of our nicer teachers. Sounds like you two have a history, I'll leave you to it…"

"Sorry about that." She started to turn away, looking for an outlet and using that to avoid letting the teacher see how on the verge of tears she was. "Things really have changed," she thought to herself as the man left the classroom. One of the biggest things eating at her was it felt like no one was there for her. Sure, Trina seemed to be trying to be; but it wasn't different-even her sister had changed.

If nothing else, the job was making it hard to just go running straight back to Hudson. Who cared if she fell deeper? Let Hudson's wife wreck her entire life, no one would worry. She'd just be one more pop star, one more celebrity that couldn't survive and faded away in time.

"No one wants me, not even Trina. She'd just as soon tire of me and wash her hands of me I'm sure." She wiped her face with her hands and cleared her throat. "Better focus on the vacuuming." It was the heavier side today, so she knew letting it slide wouldn't be good in the long run. "Trina's not even here today, but that doesn't mean she won't find out if I screw around."

Trina was taking a strange personal day and wouldn't tell Tori. Hell, even before going in for work, Trina left the apartment and didn't tell Tori where she was heading. If she wanted alone time, that would make sense considering the studio apartment didn't have any doors in it aside from the front door and bathroom.

As she vacuumed, still struggling with some bits of crumb stuck in the carpet, she would eventually make her way through the hall while watching the clock. The sixth grade hall was taking far too long for her liking.

She decided to go through the cafeteria towards the door leading to the teacher's lounge and was surprised to see Beck walking by. "Beck? How are you still at school?" He had papers in his hand and was focusing on the top sheet. He glanced up with a wearied sigh.

"Just getting things ready for the upcoming play."

"You seem stressed."

"There's a lot riding on this." He chuckled sadly and formed a tiny smirk. "I'm trying not to let it show too much, but I think my kids are smarter than they're letting on. I'm proud of them, no doubt about that."

"I'm sure it'll be great." Tori peered down, recalling Jade's oldest ire towards her. She wondered if Jade would take offense to her talking to Beck right now, but chances were slim. "I ran into Jade earlier, and your daughter." Beck shifted his gaze over and nodded.

"She told me about that. Sorry she came off abrasive. She's still upset over how you left, I believe." Tori remembered the time, she remembered a huge argument between Beck and Jade, or at least Jade told her through a bunch of blubbering. This happened when Tori had just been discovered by a talent scout, so she told Jade the truth, that she couldn't help her with this argument.

"I remember saying I just couldn't help with that argument at the time."

Beck raised an eyebrow, a glint of annoyance flashed in his eyes. "Your words were as put: I don't have time to fix your relationship again, figure it out because I have to get ready to move." Her heart sank and she slowly scratched behind her head.

"I…" She closed her eyes. "I don't remember that."

"Course not. I'm sure you don't remember call you endlessly after finding out she was pregnant…" He shrugged.

"I don't mean to pry, but…but what happened?" She wanted to know, if nothing else she was curious. "Trina won't tell me, and Jade's so angry with me I'm scared to ask her." Beck turned away, raising his papers a bit.

"It was a one-time thing. An affair, done out of anger." Tori opened her mouth, wanting to ask more; but she could hear in his quivering voice that he didn't want to discuss it. "If she decides she wants to open up and talk to you about it, she will. Until then, I wouldn't press the matter any further."

"Okay..."

Beck looked over his shoulder. "By the way, who's training you today?" Tori hadn't seen the other janitor and someone from the flex crew was dealing with Trina's duties. "I'm kind of on my own, I think. The regular custodian is doing his own thing and there's a flex member in Trina's spot."

"I see."

"How'd you know Trina wasn't here?"

"She always takes a couple personal days around this time of year, just to recuperate." Tori scrunched her nose a bit and tilted her head. "If she hasn't told you the reason, I'm not going to."

"It seems like no one wants to talk to me about anything." She was trying to hide her frustration by keeping her voice small and soft; but it wasn't working so well and she almost cried out her words. She glared at Beck's backside as he shrugged and walked off.

"Sometimes that's just the way the world works. You can't control it any more than I can. Try not to focus too much on it, and have a good rest of the evening."

She exhaled and started to turn around. "Sure." Her chest was sore and the backpack vacuum started to feel heavier than usual. "Thanks for not shunning me and at least talking to me."

"We might be upset with you, but some of us are capable of at least trying to remain cordial, Tori."

"What is it you guys are so afraid of, anyway?"

He shrugged again, holding his classroom door open with his left foot and looking back at her. "I think some are concerned that your intentions towards your sister might not be in the right place. Jade's especially protective, you see."

She rolled her eyes, giving off a slight chuckle. "I kind of picked up on that. Strange as it is." He started to laugh.

"Yeah, I know she was Trina's worst enemy; but Trina wound up being there for her when you weren't. That's when they started to really become close. Trina got what she was going through, understood Jade's situation…even helped Jade decide not to give up on Opal, which I'm glad for."

"She was going to give her up?"

"Yeah, but I've already said enough. She'd grill me half to death for saying what I already have." Beck leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms after setting his documents on the desk nearby. "Opal may not be mine by blood, but she is every bit my daughter and nothing will change that. Now, I must get back to my work."

"Okay…will it be okay if I see the play your class is putting on?"

"Why wouldn't it be? It's open to the public." Beck turned his gaze off to a set of double doors leading out to the fourth and fifth grade hall. "By the way, have you run into the fifth grade science teacher yet?" Beck smirked. "You might like him."

"I still haven't figured out who everyone is yet."

"Mr. Dennison." Tori furrowed her brow. For a split second her heart skipped a beat, but she wasn't entirely sure why. "Trina said you knew him once a long time ago. He was teaching at a high school for several years, decided to do elementary just this year."

"I knew him?" She blinked, trying to remember. "Yes. I'll see if I run into him this week. Since I'm only training, I report to this school only this week before going into the flex crew."

"Ah, I see." He smacked his lips and started to sigh. "Well take care of yourself, Tori. Don't let Trina run you too hard on the job."

"I'll try not to." She chuckled softly and watched as he closed the classroom door. Forgetting her water, she turned back around and continued on to the fourth and fifth grade hallway. Her eyes drifted towards a name sign hanging before the door at the far end of the hallway. "Dennison." She exhaled slowly and a smile curled at her lips. "What are the odds? Beck could be mistaken, maybe…"

What did she hope would happen, though? She knew better than to expect anything. Insofar everyone from her past hated her. As she opened the classroom door, she found it empty and messy. With a heavy sigh, she grabbed the long cord off the vacuum hook and searched for an outlet, finding one just behind the teacher's desk.

She plugged in the outlet and set her hand on the switch hanging at her left side. Her eyes trailed to the desk and landed on a framed picture, it showed the teacher in a lab suit standing beside another man in a similar outfit. Her eyebrows rose and the corner of her lip twitched momentarily.

Her cell phone began to ring in that moment, the familiar ringtone gracing her ears. "Hudson," she remarked in a flat tone. With the most nonchalance she could muster, and her eyes trailing back to the photograph, she flipped the switch of the vacuum into on position. As the whirring noise drowned out the ringing cell phone, a smile twisted upon her face. "Let's get it on."

* * *

A lot to take in here. Seems Tori's sinking a little further into her own hole. Beck said a lot, perhaps a lot more than he really intended, but again he may feel like being fair or he's just too tired to really care that much. Seems Trina takes the same few days off each year...wonder what's up with that. So, thoughts on this chapter?


	10. Hollywood Fire

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 10 (Hollywood Fire)

Scrolling through her social media feed, Tori honestly couldn't see why she was bothering. Her twitter had thousands of followers, her facebook had countless "friends", Instagram was useless now despite having the same large numbers. She even had a snapchat, but rarely used it. She contemplated deleting these, no doubt a move that would shock many fans; but what other choice was there? She was in a decline, those numbers were dwindling fast thanks to Barbara's constant assault.

Even now, Barbara's latest tweet was catching her eye. _Victoria Vega not answering her phone, her meltdown seems to be reaching epic proportions._ Rolling her eyes, Tori leaned against a wall and raised her head to the clear blue sky.

Again, Trina was avoidant, or at least not at the apartment; so Tori took advantage of that to take an opportunity to drive around some of her old haunts. Something that she was beginning to regret. Hollywood Arts was her latest point of visitation, and it was just about as run down as she was.

The school had closed the doors at some point after the tragic fire that happened during her final year there. "Jason died here, how could I ever have forgotten that?" She lowered her head, studying her hands neatly folded over her abdomen. It happened towards the end of the school year. She thought this was the thing Trina would be taking a personal day for every year; but the date was wrong.

The anniversary of the tragic fire was months prior, so Trina was dealing with a different anniversary of sorts. "Wish she'd talk to me. She's the only one that really is talking to me, but I wish she'd give me more." Tears welled up in her eyes and she pushed off from the wall, walking along the cracked sidewalk.

Eventually she came to the covered patio where she used to sit with the others during lunch. Smiling sadly, she studied the chipped paint and cracked frame of the support beams and ceiling. The paint on the tables had faded and a few chairs had broken off.

The wind blew trash and newspapers across the floor, creating something of a tumbleweed effect for her. As she continued to walk, moving around to the front doors, she saw a sign that read 'no trespassing'. The doors were ajar, broken from the hinges. "I'm surprised they haven't torn this place down."

With a wry chuckle, she gripped the doors and gently pushed them open a bit more so she could slip inside. Once in, she was overcome by a nauseating feeling and could see thick layers of dust and cobwebs as far as the eye could see. "God…"

Tiles were chipped and stained by weather, the walls were moldy and covered with swarms of various insects. Each step Tori took was a careful one as she tried to relieve the memories she once had.

For a second she thought she could hear the faint sound of a piano being played, but surely that was all in her head. Hollywood Arts didn't look too bad on the outside, just a little wear and tear; but the inside had grown grotesque and wretched.

Making her way to the auditorium, she had to slip by some caution tape. With a deep gasp, she raised her hand to her chest and looked around the area. She could still see where the ceiling had caved in, and while scorch marks could be seen throughout the halls of the school, they had blackened the walls of the auditorium completely.

"Now. Where was it?" Tori made her way down the torn cushioned chairs, looking around the area until she found where a large metal beam had fallen from the ceiling and landed directly across the center aisle.

This beam was what took out several people, and what led to others being trampled to death. At the end of the beam was a large spotlight, the lens shattered and stained with blood. Tori knelt down to her feet, recalling the vivid fire in detail.

The screams still echoed as though they were present in her head. She didn't know how it spread so quickly at the time. Officials said it was a combination of things, ranging from faulty construction to overcrowding. There'd been other openings in the back of the stage where the fire had slipped through, and surely the widespread panic didn't help much.

As she looked up to the stage, she saw the fire racing up the curtains and filling the entire stage with flames, making it look like a scene from hell.

She hadn't been on stage at the time, she was in the audience; part of the cast members who were supposed to have left the stage to interact with the audience at some point.

At the time the fire broke out, her feet had been glued to the floor, people raced around her as a vortex of air seemed to suck the breath from her very lungs. To her horror she watched as the fire continued to spread, not listening when she heard her parents and her sister calling her name.

Then a pair of arms wrapped around her, strong and protective, yanking her back and throwing her to the side. The action brought her to reality and that was when she saw him standing before her. Jason. He'd run back into the smoldering auditorium to try and find her.

"Get out," Jason ordered as the sweat ran down his face. "Hurry up, run." As the smoke filled her lungs, she did exactly that; but froze at the door when she heard a loud cracking sound. That was when she looked up to see the metal beam from above, having already lost the part hanging up one side of it, the other side was finally giving way and was falling.

Jason had no time to react, standing exactly where she had been, he looked up just as the light smashed into the back of his head and the end of the beam pinned him to the ground.

"I'm sorry," Tori whispered as she returned from the memory and slowly placed her hand on the spotlight. It was cool to the touch. She closed her eyes and her breathing started to shake. She'd done everything she could to erase the memory from her head at the time, throwing herself into her acting and singing in an attempt to forget.

People thought she became like most celebrities and abused painkillers or drugs after the fame; but they were wrong. It wasn't long after the fire that she started to abuse painkillers, but fame hadn't done much to lessen the use.

Trina suffered at the time too, for obvious reason; but there seemed something more to it than just Jason's death. At the time, Tori couldn't help but to wonder if her sister blamed her, they never spoke of the tragedy. Rather, Trina kept to herself for months following, staying in her bedroom most times.

This only ended when one day something happened and Holly had to race Trina to the hospital. Tori didn't know exactly what was going on, she thought maybe her sister had fallen ill or done something to herself becoming so overcome with grief. Still, the girl was never the same after that.

"Twelve years, Jason." Tears fell onto the stained floor at her knees. "I don't know if you can hear me wherever you are; but I am so sorry." She wished for a different outcome, that maybe he'd not gone back in to save her. "You should have just let the thing fall on me. You were already a hero to me, to Trina….you didn't have to die like that."

It shocked her that Hollywood Arts never recovered, especially since they were supposedly using the next year to rebuild the school. Looking back, maybe director lost the funding. Parents could have started pulling their kids from the place, seeing the building as too dangerous.

If faulty construction or wiring was truly the cause for the fire, then some engineer somewhere truly messed up. "I'll never understand it. The building never seemed that out of it, never seemed dangerous."

Granted Hollywood Arts was new, the building itself was older. It had been many businesses spanning decades of use, with the last business making it an official school before it became a school for the arts.

Or it could have been something more. As she thought on it, she seemed to recall her father mentioning criminal investigations being under way; so arson wasn't too far off. If someone had deliberately attacked the school, or used the auditorium fire as an advantage, then such a tragic loss of life was more believable in her mind.

Perhaps it didn't matter anymore, none of that mattered.

"Get out of here."

Tori exhaled, looking up as she thought she could hear Jason's voice once more. Her eyebrows rose when the words echoed again. The beam she was touching started to grow colder than before, forcing her to tear her hand away.

Without hesitation, she heeded the warning and bolted from the auditorium. She dusted off her clothes as she scurried through the corridors, looking at the beams of light coming from holes in the ceiling and watching the dust hover in them. With a faint smile, she exited the main doors just in time to hear her cell phone chime.

When she checked it, she saw a text from her sister. _"What in the hell are you doing? Check your social media page."_

She did so and saw a tweet from Barbara showing a picture of her entering the school. Her eyes grew wide and a trembling hand covered her mouth. _"Can this be V.V. criminally trespassing a condemned site? Is it really her? You decide for yourself just how far she's falling! When will the crimes cease?"_

Her heart began to pound, and with tears in her eyes she ran as fast as she could to her car. "God, she's got people taking pictures of me now?"

She entered her car and swept her hair back, behind her ears. She wiped the tears from her face and looked at the twitter page in time to see a picture reply to Barbara's tweet. It was from Andre, much to her surprise.

 _"Hey Barbara, look what I saw during my visit to the downtown shops. Seems you're not only visiting the area, but helping yourself to some of the stores and their merchandise."_ He posted a picture of Barbara, wearing sunglasses and a large sun hat as she pushed a few clothing accessories into her large purse. _"I guess somebody's got sticky fingers."_

Almost instantly, Barbara's tweet was taken down. Tori couldn't help but to smile, mentally thanking Andre. Even though he didn't think much of her at the time, like the rest, at least he stuck up for her. While it could have been a fluke, or maybe he was just trying to show the hypocrisy, she couldn't help but to be glad for his swift intervention.

It didn't help that Barbara's post might have sent the police searching the site for her, so rather than sit and pout in her car, she felt it was best to start driving.

With the school in her rearview, she took a few fleeting glimpses. "Why is nothing the same anymore?" She tore her gaze away, sniffling and chewing on her lip. "Trina should hate me just as much as the others. Jason's dead because of me. Hollywood Arts is gone. Nothing…absolutely nothing is right."

As she drove down the street, she came up to a stoplight next to a facility she didn't recall seeing before. Her brow furrowed as she studied the three story building with vaulted, blue rooftops. The walls were crème colored and the windows looked old fashioned. It was nestled in a small parking lot and had a wide grassy yard to the left.

"What is this place?" Curious, she turned into the parking lot. "This used to be that karaoke place where Jade and Cat had me perform. I'm sure of it." She tilted her head and chuckled softly. "It wasn't a three story building though, and certainly didn't look like this."

It was warm and inviting, a pleasant sight amid all the chaos. She parked her car and carefully stepped outside, checking the area just in case Barbara might be lurking around. She took another look at the yard and smiled when she saw numerous children playing in the grass.

She walked up to the doors of the building and gently ran her hand along the oak framed doors. With a deep breath, she opened them and moved inside. The walls were a warm desert sand color, the tiled floors were peach colored, and a long granite top desk overlooked the front entrance.

At the desk, a woman with soft blue eyes and curly brown hair looked up from a book she had been reading. "Hello," the woman greeted, "How can I help you?" Tori approached, looking up at the open ceiling and seeing the railed walkways above.

"I, um, was curious and wanted to stop by." The woman smiled at her as she looked back to her and placed her hands gently on the surface. "I've grown up in the area, this place wasn't here before."

"That's correct, it was built a bit after the fire that happened at that school some time ago…" That answered the question of where the city funds must have gone. "This is _Little Haven_ , a state-run orphanage." Tori's eyebrows rose and the corners of her lips curved upwards. "We take in children when there are no foster homes able to take them in. Primarily. We provide them with shelter, an allowance and all the needs we are able to provide."

"Oh. I see. I don't think I've ever seen one of those places." She'd heard of them, but never thought much of them. "I guess you're a big part of the community then."

"Oh yes." The lady reached under the desk and lifted a pamphlet up. Tori took it and looked down at it, reading the numbers and office hours. "We try to have our children interact with the community as much as possible, going so far as to enter them into public schools. We also encourage volunteers from the community, if that is something you might be interested in."

"Well…" She pushed the pamphlet into her purse, wanting to look through it later. "Right now isn't the timing isn't best, but I'll certainly think about it." The woman gave an understanding nod.

"Please do, it can be a very rewarding experience for both you and the children here."

"What kind of volunteering options are there?"

"Oh plenty!" The woman pulled a white folder from the desk and opened it on the countertop. Tori leaned over it and smiled as she read through a list. "We have social time, we have volunteers who help in the kitchen, help with arts and crafts, game time, reading to the kids, tutoring with homework…the list goes on and on. There's something for everyone."

"Wow."

The sound of a scuffle grabbed her attention and she looked up and towards a stairwell nearby where a girl ran after another. "Give it back," shouted the girl chasing the other. There was a small, stuffed gingham dog in the arms of the girl fleeing. It had seen some wear and tear, and looked ancient. "That's not yours!"

Her forehead wrinkled as she recognized the girl giving the chase; it was Rachel, from Robbie's class. Eventually Rachel cornered the other girl and grabbed the dog. Clutching it close to her chest, she grabbed the other girl's shirt and pushed her away. Tori watched as Rachel lifted the dog to her chin and shut her eyes.

The dog itself was strangely familiar too; but Tori didn't think much of it. She couldn't help but to watch as Rachel swayed, still clutching her toy protectively. The receptionist followed her gaze and sighed. "And that is Rachel, she's been with us now for about a year. She's not usually aggressive unless the girls pick on her, which sadly she does get bullied by the other girls because she's among the older…"

"Wow, I didn't know older children would even be here."

"It happens a lot, unfortunately." The woman shook her head. "There aren't that many foster parents as it is, and those that there are usually want younger children. Same said for adoptive parents, they always want babies or toddlers. Rachel is, an unfortunate case."

"Why?"

"She's had too many fosters and was remove by her initial adoptive family. She's been through a lot, as many of the boys and girls here have, even having been a ward of state at one point…finally ending up right here."

"Ward of state?" She knew the term from her father's police days. It meant a child that was under protection of the government or court because there wasn't any safe place for them. "Is she still?"

"No, that was a while back. Rachel doesn't really cause a lot of problems, she's just withdrawn. Some people consider her 'problematic' because she has a hard time following instructions and listening to authority…I'm usually forthcoming with that because I want people to understand that yes, she has that issue; but she has had a traumatic past and needs a family that she can learn to trust. She's not troublesome, she's hurting, the poor thing."

"And now she's, what, ten? Eleven?"

"Twelve. She just had a birthday. Spent it in her room unfortunately, I wanted her to come out and celebrate, but she refused...One more year and she'll be a teenager." The woman sighed heavily. "I pray every day she won't end up spending the rest of her life here. It wouldn't be the first time, but a lot of the time the kids in her situation-"

Her heart flickered and she looked down, feeling a surge of pain. "They don't survive, do they?" The woman closed her eyes and slowly shook her head. Tori watched Rachel as the girl looked around her and slowly walked off. A tear ran down from her eye and she quickly cleared her throat. "I-I better go. I'll think about volunteering, I'm just not sure yet."

"Our number is on the pamphlet I gave you. Just call whenever you feel ready."

"Thanks."

* * *

So Tori's remembered the events of the fire, seems selective memory led her to pushing that tragedy out of her mind. There's a lot going on in this chapter, so I look forward to hearing any input or thoughts you may have


	11. Powerful Emotions

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 11 (Strong Feelings)

Trina was seated on her couch with the black cat, Nikita, curled on the seat beside her, she had a glass of water in her hand and was watching something on Netflix. Tori placed the pamphlet in front of her and watched her sister's eyes drift down to it. "What is this?" She asked. Tori smiled a bit and sat next to Nikita.

"It's a state run orphanage for children trying to be placed with permanent families. I thought maybe you and I could volunteer." Trina's expression shifted, her brow furrowing and lips sinking down a bit. Tori felt her heartbeat slow as she anticipated Trina's response and worried she might say no. "Something we could do together."

"No." Trina looked away and shut her eyes. "If you really wanted to volunteer somewhere, I might suggest a soup kitchen or an animal shelter."

"Why not? You don't like kids?"

Trina chuckled softly and shook her head. "I love kids, otherwise I would not be working where I am." She handed the pamphlet back to Tori with a heavy sigh. "Places like this depress me. I have enough on my plate with my job, and our parents."

"You have nothing else to do, you have nothing to live for besides your job…"

Trina seemed to contemplate for a minute before pausing what was on Netflix and getting up from the couch with a grunt. "And since when do you care about this sort of thing?"

"I don't know, I just…" She shrugged, unable to answer. It wasn't something she thought about in the past, so Trina and potentially her friends, would be right to assume she'd be too self-centered to volunteer at a place like this. At this same time, it was that one particular child that was drawing something from within her. "You know that kid in Robbie's class I mentioned?" Trina put her hands to her hips and raised an eyebrow, saying nothing and studying her with expectation. "Well, turns out she's at this center."

"Okay."

"And, I don't know what it is, but there's something about her."

"Well if you feel compelled to volunteer at a center like this, you should." Trina smiled warmly and let her hands drop by her sides. "It's a good cause nonetheless, and I would be in favor of you doing it. I think it'll help you and give you something to do during the day." Her heart skipped a beat and she gave a quick nod.

"I'll think about it. I really wanted to do it with you, I'm not sure about going it alone." She thought for a moment, looking out the apartment window and eventually giving off a final sigh. "Maybe one of the others will?"

"I don't know, they've all got a lot on their plate. Cat's the only one that does any real volunteer work, and even then she doesn't have a lot of time to do much." Trina stroked her chin, resting her elbow on her lower arm. "Andre's busy with his teaching job and music. Beck's busy trying to get that play set up. Jade's a mom and teacher. Robbie might, but he's never shown much of an interest in volunteer work anywhere."

"Think you'd ask them for me?"

"You can ask them yourself." She frowned and started to look away, unwilling to look her sister in the eye. Her stomach flipped at the thought of trying to ask them to do anything with her. Trina moved her hands behind her back and walked towards her with a soft sigh. "You need to not be afraid of them, Tori." She looked up slowly, raising her shoulders. "Do you want to reconnect with them or not?"

"I do, but-"

"Then make the effort. I know they seem like they're still upset with you, but they're not going to do anything unless you talk to them and you seem genuine about it. Me asking would only imply to them that you don't really want them there and I'm just trying to force a connection."

She understood what Trina was saying, but it hurt like hell. She was scared, especially because she didn't want to face the rejection. "Jade still seems pretty pissed off at me. Beck told me a little bit, but not much." She reached down to stroke Nikita, gently scratching the cat behind her ears. Nikita leaned her head forward and closed her eyes.

"Jade is…" Trina rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I shouldn't tell you this, so keep it to yourself. She and Beck got into a huge fight back when you guys first went to college."

"I remember, and Beck told me that part."

"Right. She ended up going to some party with a group of sorority girls and started talking to some dude there. She wanted to get back at Beck and was drinking, so she talked the guy into having some kind of revenge sex." Tori's jaw dropped and she raised her hand to her chest. "Now, if Jade wants to open up to you about that, she will."

"But it was consensual?"

"It was. It was a stupid mistake on her part, but she got pregnant as a result." Trina gestured, pointing at Tori. "Now don't you go asking about it." She nodded feverishly, understanding the gravity and seriousness of it. "If she wants to go into detail and open up about everything, she will. I'm only telling you this for your edification, so you realize why she seems so bitter towards you."

"Because I wasn't there?"

"Yeah. I know you didn't say it like the way she got in her mind when she first went to you about everything, she feels like you essentially told her to fuck off because getting discovered was more important to you." Tori threw her hands to her chest and raised her eyebrows, curling them in the center. "That was when they were first fighting. After the pregnancy, she tried calling you multiple times and you never answered."

"Yeah, I had just gotten discovered so I was always doing something."

"But you could have answered her calls, you could have talked to her, been there as a friend." Trina crossed her arms and let her shoulders fall. "Instead, I was there. I talked her into not giving up her baby, even going so far out of getting her to really think about whether or not she wanted an abortion just because the baby was a product of a one night stand. She tells me every day she's glad she didn't, because having that baby helped her and Beck to become closer."

"Oh."

"But that could have been, should have been you. Not me."

"Who knows, maybe you were just better equipped to handle it than I was? Maybe knew more than I did?" Trina smirked at her, but said nothing. "Beck seemed to imply you knew what she was going through, which seems odd to me." Trina waved it off and started moving for the kitchen.

"I don't know much about that, Tori, but I will admit in college I knew a few girls that had abortions. Some regretted it while others didn't, mixed reactions of course; but for the ones that regretted it, a lot of them said they regretted it because they started to reach a place where they wanted to raise a child and would have loved having that baby."

"Abortion is a difficult topic."

"It is, always has been and always will be." Trina grabbed a coke out of the refrigerator and extended it. "Want a root beer?" Tori smiled politely and shook her head.

"Thanks, but I'm not thirsty."

"All right." Trina closed the door and opened the can with a sigh. "I'd rather not approach the controversial subjects, but I will say I've always agreed with the whole 'let us be in control of our own bodies' thing, even though it just sounds like an excuse." Tori heard a growl come from deep within her sister, it was startling. Trina's face constricted, her eyes sharpened and the skin around her lips appeared to tighten. "If you want to have an abortion, have it, I don't care, just don't go shoving your opinion down my throat. Same is said of those old fogies that give religious people a bad rap and start to criticize someone for having an abortion, or even having a baby out of wedlock. It's not your place to judge, so get the fuck off my case."

"Okay…"

"But even that being said," Trina sipped on the soda and walked past the couch. Tori noticed Trina's arms tightening a bit. "If I had to do one or the other, I would much rather give a baby up for adoption than to get an abortion."

"Why?"

"Why?" Trina softened, her expression growing warmer and mouth turning to a tiny smile. "Because I prefer giving the baby a chance to have a life of some sort, a chance to see the light of day, the shimmering stars at night. I want that child to grow up and touch the dew on the grass in the morning, dip her toes into a crystal clear lake and hear the birds singing…to enjoy the world as I enjoyed it when I grew…to grow older, to have an impact of some sort in the world, to have a chance to do something." Trina looked to the window, a new gleam in her eye. "Maybe she'll be a teacher one day, a doctor, a repair tech…the sky's the limit, but I want her to have a chance to impact the world and impact another life. That's all I would ever want. Abortion scares me."

"It does?"

"It scares me because I would hate to take away that chance. I would hate to be the person that decides that my little girl won't be born and won't grow up to experience all these things and more. I like having the choice, but my choice would never be abortion unless there were extenuating circumstances."

Trina cleared her throat and started for the front door. "That was a lot of…something. I'm going to go check on mom and dad, you coming with?" Tori blinked twice and looked down at the pamphlet, shaking her head gently after a minute.

"No, I, I need to do some thinking."

Trina frowned at her. "Alright, but you do need to reach out to them, they're starting to think you don't want to."

"I know, I know." Trina turned the doorknob and Tori took a quick breath. "Hey Trina, can I ask you something?" The girl paused and looked over with a note of caution. "You said you would prefer adoption over abortion; but why adoption over keeping the child?"

"I never said I would prefer giving up my child over keeping it."

"But if you had a child, why would you give it up?"

"Numerous reasons. Finances not being stable enough, not having the means to raise a baby, raising it without the father, not being in the right mental state…If I have a baby and I know mentally I can't take care of it, I'm not going to be a good mother at the time, then yes I want to put her up for adoption and let her have a set of parents that can take care of her."

"And now? If you had a baby now, would you keep it?"

"Yeah. I mean, there's no guy in the picture, but mentally speaking and financially, yes. I would decide to try and raise her."

"I see."

"Last chance to come with me to see mom and dad."

"Rain check. I don't think I can focus on them right now." Trina sighed and quietly left the room. Tori looked at the pamphlet once more, her heart sinking into her stomach as she thought about Rachel. "That poor girl, stuck in that place. All the things Trina said she would want if she ever had a kid…the kids here don't get to experience that, or at least, that little girl might not have."

Tears filled her eyes and she quickly wiped them away. Her chest expanded slowly and she moved her trembling fingers to the pamphlet. "Maybe I should volunteer, maybe I should connect with little Rachel. I-I don't want to do it alone, but…the others won't want to do it with me."

It was a strange feeling for her, wanting to be a part of this, because it had been so long since she really cared for something so strongly. She knew the others would only laugh at her, claim she wasn't sincere. The only one that seemed to believe her, even remotely, was Trina.

She pulled her knees to her chest and looked at the front door where her sister had just left. "Why does it scare her so much? What's wrong with a place like this in her eyes?"

Standing from the couch, she made her way into the restroom and started to wash her hands and face. Her eyes drifted to the mirror as the water ran down her cheeks and dampened her hair, and once more she found herself lost at what was gazing back at her.

It was a little version of herself in ragged clothes with a dirt covered face and tears in her eyes, she looked lost and confused, all alone in a world with no one she could trust and no one to take care of her. Scared, neglected, alone and so close to giving up.

Her heart broke to see it, to feel she had nothing left to live for and no reason to continue the fight.

"You're only this way because you let yourself be," said a voice in her head. The vision in the mirror seemed to change, to that which she was only a year ago. Bedazzled, dressed in fancy clothes and looking down on her with a superior, snarky expression. "You let yourself be used like a tissue, fucked over from behind and stretched to your limit."

"No," she whispered.

"Now you're worthless, talking to yourself in a mirror. You should be dead, what else is left for you? You're not worthy of the fame we once had, the glory. Nothing but a little attention whore, so needy."

"No."

"Want to feel like you have any kind of value or mean a damn thing to anyone? Thought you were going to feel that as a celebrity? Hah! You were nothing before the fame, nothing with the fame, and now you literally are nothing."

She trembled as tears ran down her cheeks, her chest began to ache and her lungs felt like they'd been set afire. "I'm not nothing. I can't be nothing."

"You deserve nothing." She looked back, seeing a vision of her teenage self in the mirror. She looked innocent, but there was a sharpness in her eyes. "You lied to everybody, treated your sister like she was shit. Made her feel worthless, made her feel like she had nothing. Made her feel like no one loved her, now you're going through the same hell. Justice served." Tori covered her face with her hands, crying as the thoughts in her head seemed to echo. "You let Jason die. You may as well have killed him yourself. You ruined your sister's life, you no good piece of shit. There's pills in the medicine cabinet…perhaps you should take a few."

"No. I won't, I can't." Tori splashed her face with more water and looked back at the mirror, no longer seeing a different view. She knew how she felt, she knew how that little girl felt too. "I'm going to volunteer. I might not mean anything to anyone, but if I can help that little girl in any way-I'm going to try."

Before too long, she got an urgent and startling call from Trina, truly jarring her from her thoughts in the moment. "Mom's in the hospital, get over here now."

* * *

So much going on here, what are your thoughts? Trina seemed really passionate about what she was talking about, I guess we know why Tori feels a connection to Rachel as well, she's going through a lot of the same emotions and feelings that the child is. Tori might be right that the others won't be able to volunteer with her, but maybe she's worrying too much about their reasons why and choosing to be the reason why as opposed to understanding what Trina was explaining. What are your thoughts on everything? How do you feel about Tori's emotions, how do you feel about what Trina said and how she gave her rant? Maybe there's something more to it?


	12. Goodbye

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 12 (Goodbye)

Tori through the hospital, her heart racing and sweat dripping from her pores. "Out of my way," she muttered between frenzied pants, "Where's my mom?" She burst into her mother's room and the energy swept over her like a tidal wave. She gasped for air when she saw her mother lying in the bed with an IV in her arm. She was motionless, her eyes closed.

David sat on the right side of the bed, holding his wife's hands in his and weeping with his forehead on his hands. Trina was in the chair against the left wall, hunched over with her hands clasped at her jaw, tears were running like rivers down her face. She looked up and opened her mouth, only to let a raspy breath of air escape.

Tori moved forward, her legs trembling as her quivering eyes focused on her mom. "I-Is she…What happened?" Her heart was exploding in her chest as she mentally pleaded for her mother to wake up. "Will she wake up?" Tori placed a hand on the bed and looked down at her mother, listening to David's soft cries. "Mom, wake up. I still haven't had a chance to talk to you. I'm sorry…"

"Tori," Trina spoke finally, "She passed out last night."

"Last night?" Sucking in a deep breath, Tori turned angrily. "Why didn't anyone call us?"

"Dad didn't want us to worry apparently, called the hospital. She hasn't woken up yet, the doctors…" Trina shut her eyes and slowly shook her head. Seeing the pain on her sister's face, she already knew. Panic struck her and spread through her body. When her sister opened her eyes, but avoided contact, Tori nearly broke down on the spot. "The doctors say she's not going to make it."

"Why? I don't-I don't understand."

"Her body's been shutting down, and with the disease she had…all it would take would be a cold…" Horrified, she fell to her knees and let her hands fold over Holly's arm. Tears spilled over her cheeks and strands of hair clung to her lips.

"No." She wasn't ready for this. "She'll wake up, she has to. I-I didn't get a chance." Her father scoffed, jarring her away. He raised his head, revealing dark circles around his eyes and a strained expression.

"All she wanted was to hear from you," David said in a husky, yet quivery tone, "But you wouldn't even talk to us. If you wanted to, you would have."

"I was scared!"

"Both of you." Tori froze, looking at Trina, who turned her head away. "Too proud, too scared to bother with whatever hardships you have, can't even be bothered to ask for help."

Trina looked back, her gaze drifting slowly towards her father. "Now isn't the time, Dad."

"When will it be? When I die next?" David threw his hands up and took one last, wistful look at his wife. Two sobs shook from his lips and he slowly wheeled himself out of the room. Tori flinched and looked at her sister for answers.

"What is he talking about? You have everything in control."

Trina raised a hand to her forehead, covering her eyes and exhaling. "Nobody is ever all there, Tori. It isn't important right now, Dad is hurting obviously."

"Mom will be okay. Won't she?"

She watched her sister's hand drop and felt a pang of sorrow strike her chest. "No Tori. Mom's not okay."

"They'll put her on life support, won't they?"

Trina placed her hands on her knees and pushed herself up. Silence filled the air as Tori watched her move to the bed. "Trina?" She whimpered as Trina curled a hand around Holly's. "Trina, talk to me." Trina shut her eyes and turned her head away.

"Mom has always refused life support. In her living will she's stated not to be resuscitated or put on life support if it comes to that." Tori cupped a hand over her mouth, her heart now bursting at the seams.

She wasn't ready for this. "I wanted to connect, I really did. I wanted to talk to her, I just…I was afraid…I didn't think she was that close to-"

"You don't have to explain yourself."

"I don't want dad to hate me."

"He won't, he doesn't." Trina took a deep breath and pulled her hand away from Holly's. "I…I need to start preparing, getting ready for the future. I have ten months left on my lease, so here's what is going to happen." Trina walked over to Tori and looked into her eyes. "I'm going to move back in with Dad, see to whatever he needs. I'll still pay the rent, but I'm going to leave the apartment to you rent free until the lease is up." Tori raised her eyebrows and looked down at her mother.

She wanted to refuse, but right now it didn't feel right. "I don't know, Trina. I…"

"I'm not asking. Dad needs someone with him, you need a place to stay."

"Then why don't I stay with him?"

"It's been my responsibility." Perhaps Trina was the best fit in the moment. Tori knew she wasn't in the right place to take care of their father, and Trina had been taking care of her parents for so long. "So start saving up your money and figure out what you want to do about apartments and whatnot when the lease is up. I…" Trina leaned over their mother, gently kissing the woman's forehead. "Need to make arrangements."

"She can't be gone. She can't."

"I'm sorry, Tori. The doctor says there is no brain activity. Half of her organs are failing, and…I wish there was more time…" Trina's voice broke and the girl turned away. "Need to check after Dad." She waited for Trina to leave before turning her attention back to her mother.

"Momma." She put her forehead to the bed, letting out a small cry. Her body shook as though an earthquake were at her knees. "I'm so sorry, I never meant to be away so long. I never meant…" She wiped the tears from her face. "I love you momma. I don't want you to go away, I don't. I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I'm not…" She buried her face again, biting the edge of the mattress to muffle her scream. "I want to hear your voice, I want to talk to you. I want to tell you everything."

She pressed her lips together and tensed up trying to keep her tears back inside. "Please. Momma, please come back. Just one more time, just one last time let me…" She didn't want to let go yet, she couldn't. "I'm scared. Momma, I-I can't do this. I need you."

It wasn't fair, she'd only just gotten back home. She couldn't understand why her mother would die now. As if she had a choice. "Come back!" She shook her mom's arm, screaming. "Please. Please!" She leaned over, still shaking her mother and crying as loud as she could until she felt a pair of arms wrap around her.

She struggled at first until she saw Trina was the one holding, then let herself sink into her sister's chest, weeping as she closed her hand around Trina's shirt. "Shh," Trina whispered, "It'll be okay. It's going to be okay…"

"No. No. It'll never be okay."

Almost an entire week later, Tori stood in the cemetery with Trina and her father. Trina's friends stood behind them, and several friends of the family as well as former coworkers and patients attended the funeral.

People spoke about Holly, about the memories they had of her; but Tori couldn't focus on any of them. Some offered condolences, but no words could be heard. She felt nothing, or at least, she couldn't feel anything other than numbness.

Her mother was now a mound of dirt and a gray slab tombstone. She felt like she'd been late, too late, and now no one could reach her. As people left, until it was only her, Trina and their father, Tori began to feel as though she'd transformed into a cold statue. Eventually Trina took her father away.

Her tears felt more like rain than anything. She never wanted to leave, and didn't care if she died right there on the spot. As the sun started set, she could hear footsteps coming up from behind. Turning her head, she saw Cat approaching. The girl's hair was pulled into a bun and she wore a long black dress, it was the first time Tori had ever seen her wearing something that wasn't bright and colorful.

"I'm sorry, Tori. I know you only just got home."

"I…have no one."

"You've got Trina."

"She's moving in with Dad. I'm alone, I'm always alone." Tori knelt by her mother's grave, slowly sweeping her hand across her mother's name on the tombstone. Cat stood beside her, folding her hands at waist level and closing her eyes. "Always late to the party, I guess. Always the last to know."

Tori hovered and swayed forward, moving her hands to the dirt and closing them around the grass. She started to cough as saliva and tears dripped from her face. Her body shook tremendously and she let her face fall to the ground.

"I know it isn't right to say, but…at least you still have a chance to connect with your dad." Tori sat upright, her body swaying as she tried in vain to speak without added harshness in her voice.

"Why are you even still here? None of you want anything to do with me." Cat shut her eyes and Tori began to scream. "Leave me alone, let me be. You don't want to be here, don't be here. You all hate me."

"You're hurting, Tori."

"No shit."

"Yeah we're upset with you, but you know something? We're all working on it, all of us need to. What happened…it happened, but you're here now and we know you're dealing with a lot of stress and trauma…Now, none of us are trying to make it harder on you, and I know this isn't the appropriate time to talk about it, but I'm sorry."

"Why?" She scoffed. "Why are you sorry? I'm the one that never tried to connect, I'm the one that never called. I'm the one that never returned calls, never responded or contacted anyone on social media or anything. Clearly I did that with my parents, and now my mom's gone. Now I can't-I can't even tell her that I still loved her. I never even knew she was sick until I came back, and that's _my fucking fault_."

Cat pressed her lips together and reached down to her shoulder. "I lost my mom too a few years ago." Tori wiped the dirt and tears from her cheeks. "You know, she loved the artists like Patty Lovelace, Celine Dion." Cat chuckled sadly and looked to Holly's grave. "I don't know why, or I didn't at the time, but in her last days she used to want me to sing a particular song for her. It might be poorly timed, but…"

Tori let out a nervous laugh. "Screw it, go for it." Cat nodded slowly, giving Tori's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

 _"Sitting with mama, alone in our bedroom…she opened her eyes and then squeezed my hand."_ Tori coughed once and looked away, gritting her teeth as another sob tried to shatter them. _"She said 'I have to go now, my time here is over. And with her final words, she tried to help me understand…"_

Cat knelt beside her, her soft singing pulling at Tori's heart. Tori's heart broke more as she knew the song. _"Mama whispered softly, time will ease your pain. Life's about changing, and nothing ever stays the same…"_ Tori looked up, her misty eyes joining Cat's. _"She said 'how can I help you to say goodbye? It's okay to hurt, and it's okay to cry. Come, let me hold you, and I will try…How can I help you…to say goodbye?"'_

Tori leaned to the side, weeping loudly as Cat wrapped an arm around her. The girl pulled her close, letting her rest her head upon her chest and soak her shirt with her tears. "I'm here, Tori, I'm here." Tori rocked with her, unable to say anything but grateful that the girl was there at all, even though she didn't have to be.

* * *

A tough chapter, hard to lose someone and for Tori, especially hard to lose someone without getting a chance to connect. Things are definitely changing, and this may be a bit more of a wakeup call for her than anything, who can say? What are your thoughts, your feelings after this chapter?


	13. The Volunteer

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 13 (The Volunteer)

Now in the flex crew, Trina was no longer Tori's direct supervisor. She was filling in at the junior high which Robbie worked, and it was close to overwhelming. The school was fairly large and divided into sections-and of course with both junior highs and high schools the schools had multiple custodians each assigned a section.

She'd actually been to Sherwood itself once, mostly because she kept asking her bosses to let her go there and see it. Unfortunately she wound up filling in for the janitor with the largest possible section, she was so overwhelmed that she was unable to finish-and that actually hurt her pride because she was trying her damndest to finish.

Here, she didn't have a large section, and Robbie's classroom was a part of it. It was nice, and she wound up heading directly to his room first in hopes to catch him before he left.

When she entered, she was glad to see him at his desk. "Robbie! Hi!" Robbie's head jerked up from the paperwork and he smiled as she entered.

"Tori, a pleasure seeing you here. Filling in for Grant today, I see." She hummed and looked around the room. It wasn't too dirty, which was a good thing. To her surprise, she saw Rachel in the back corner, working on a drawing. Robbie followed her gaze and lowered his voice to a whisper. "She's staying late to get an assignment done. I think she just wants to stay at the school a bit longer today."

Recalling what she saw at the orphanage before, she wasn't surprised. "She doesn't talk much?" Robbie shook his head. "Think it'd be okay if I tried talking to her?" He chuckled softly and shrugged.

"You can try. What's your interest anyway? Trina told me you'd been talking about her."

"I don't know…I just feel like, there's something there."

"Alright, but be careful. It all sounds PC these days, but don't associate too much on school grounds." Tori nodded, having had to sit through the whole district policy and regulations issue. Staff, teachers, and faculty were not to interact on a more personal level with students, with the exception of family. A rule that had been in place when she was going to school, but clearly no one followed or reported when Mr. Sikowitz let them over to his house.

"Funny, you remember when we were all at Sikowitz's?" Robbie smiled and started to chuckle.

"Yes." He adjusted his glasses and slowly shook his head. "Some of us had some powerful parents too, so it's surprising that none of them complained; but I guess they all trusted him with us."

"If they didn't, they would never have let us do anything after school with him. I know my dad wouldn't have."

"Mine either. Cat's mother would have thrown a fit if she had a problem." Robbie paused a moment, his eyes moving slowly towards her. He exhaled softly and slid his hand toward her. "Speaking of, how're you holding up? How's your dad holding up?" Tori frowned and looked down at the floor.

"It hurts…It's hard, and I know Dad's taking it hard. Trina's having a difficult time of it too."

"Yeah, I can imagine. Losing my grandmother was rough, but I saw how hard it could be on someone when Cat lost her mother."

"What happened?"

"Brain tumor, it was inoperable." A tear ran down Tori's face and she closed her eyes, trying to remember any memories of Cat's mom; but they were rare. She never really interacted with the woman, and then the family moved away while Cat was allowed to stay in town. Cat's mother was an attorney, and one of the best, smartest attorneys around.

"Cat doesn't hold it against me for not being around does she?"

"For what? Her mom passing?" He exhaled and shook his head. "No, you couldn't have known anyway. How are things between you and Trina? We've all kind of backed off a bit because she asked us to, but she hasn't said much lately."

"Things are okay." Tori rubbed the back of her neck. "I wanted to volunteer at this orphanage with her, but she doesn't want to do that. She says it depresses her, scares her." Robbie leaned back, humming softly. There was recognition in his eyes, but Tori already knew how everyone was being with the whole 'let them tell you' speech, so she wasn't going to ask if he knew something that she didn't.

"Yeah she's terrified of those places for her own reason. She already says she feels bad for the children who end up there." Then it made no sense why she wouldn't want to help them; but she respected Trina had her own reasons.

"It's difficult. I want to reconnect with people, but no one really wants to open up to me."

"Give it time, Tori. Remember and understand where they're coming from. They don't want to get close only to have you disappear and never be heard from again. They'll come around, just takes a little time."

"Yeah…"

"Anyhow, I have papers to get graded." She nodded, leaving him to it. Looking across the room at Rachel, she took a deep breath before making a slow approach. When she walked up and looked at what she was drawing, she was awestruck.

It was a beautiful penciled drawing of a woman with long white wings on her back. Her hands were in prayer formation and she was gazing up to the sky. She had long, feathery brown hair and a gorgeous, well drawn purple dress.

"You're really good at that." Rachel froze and slipped her hand away, causing the tip on her pencil to break on the desk. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." Rachel looked up, her eyebrows rising. "I was admiring the drawing."

"It's incomplete." Rachel replied with a careful, quiet voice.

"What do you call it?"

Rachel shrugged. Her eyebrows furrowed at the drawing for a few moments. "I've seen you. You were at the orphanage the other day…haven't been back yet…"

"I was thinking of volunteering. Lost my mother last week, so I haven't been able to go back there yet." The child's eyes darted to the side, then back to the picture. Tori knelt down, smiling softly at the picture. "Robbie-" Rachel raised an eyebrow and leaned away a bit, studying her. Tori cleared her throat, knowing the child likely didn't know her teacher by his first name. "I mean Mr. Shapiro says you have a lot of potential."

"I have other drawings. I take Mr. Shapiro's class because I enjoy it. I have him for two periods, Art and an elective."

"Is he a good teacher?"

"He is." Rachel leaned forward, her arms folding over on the desk. "Are you going to come back and volunteer at the orphanage?" Tori brightened, her smile growing as she nodded.

"I will."

"You lost your mom? I'm sorry." Tori closed her eyes and moved a hand to her chest. Rachel glanced back at her drawing. "I call this 'momma'. I don't know if my momma's alive or not, but I was adopted as a baby, so I often wonder if she's in heaven."

"Maybe, she could be alive out there somewhere." Rachel didn't respond, still staring at her drawing. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your adoptive parents?"

"I don't remember much about them."

"Okay. Well it was nice to meet you, but I have to get started working."

Rachel picked at her drawing for a second, then raised it to Tori, who was shocked by the action. "Take this. For your mom." Tori handled the paper carefully, slowly nodding.

"I appreciate that…"

Volunteering wasn't going to be too entirely easy. It wouldn't be difficult, but with her evening shift at work, finding things to do during the day wouldn't be the best of circumstances. She wanted to do the socializing part; but most of the children there would be at school during the weekdays.

The lady she spoke to at the desk was actually the director, her name was Gloria. Tori would have to talk to her about how the whole thing would work. At the very least, she could spend time with the children on the weekends.

The next morning she awoke early to head out. It was the crack of dawn, but she'd always been a morning riser in the past, despite sleeping in a bit more lately. With Trina out of the apartment with the two cats, it was a bit too lonely to be waking up so early.

She met Gloria at the desk once again, the woman looked astonished as she walked in. "Well hello, I didn't expect to see you again so soon." Tori smiled politely and nodded. "We have the paperwork you submitted online, your background check has been approved. You stated you wanted to be an activity partner?"

"Yeah, but I was wondering what all I could do."

"Play games with the children, take them out to the park or to the movies. Help them with homework…it depends really." Gloria stood up and reached her hand across the desk. Tori shook her hand quickly. "Whatever you do, of course, we ask that you keep an activity log and submit it to us at the end of your hours."

"Understood." Tori stroked her chin and looked around. "I was wondering. I start working at three until eleven thirty on Monday through Friday, so…how could I be an activity partner during the week?"

"You still can. We open our doors at six, so some volunteers come in the early morning to help our children get ready for school. Then, during the day, some children will still be here. There are a few children who don't attend public school and we have lecturers who come to teach them here."

"I see."

"Also, you have the option of who you'd like to work with. If you have any particular age group in mind?"

"I was hoping to work with the older kids." She had a feeling older children didn't get a lot of attention here from volunteers. "I keep thinking about Rachel, how sad she must be after what you told me." Gloria nodded.

"Yes, again she is one of our older ones. Some volunteers have tried to spend time with her, but a lot of them give up and move onto the other children. If you spend time with her, I'd ask that you be careful to not abandon her so quickly."

Tori gave an understanding nod and took a deep breath. "I won't. I know what it's like to feel left out." Gloria smiled back at her and reached under the desk, pulling out a small binder.

"Here, go ahead and sign in. I'll get a folder ready for you. If you'd like to, Rachel tends to be hard to wake up in the morning, you can go help her get ready for school." Tori's heart skipped a beat and she quickly put her name down on the sign-in sheet.

Once her volunteer folder was prepared, she made her way up a flight of stairs and down the corridor on the right until she found Rachel's room. She gave a gentle knock at first to see if the girl was awake at all, but she heard no movement.

After a minute, she opened the door and looked around. The walls of the room were plain, but had several colored drawings tacked to the wall. It was a pleasant sight, and she could truly see what Rachel enjoyed doing.

On the bed in the back corner, Rachel face down with her head turned sideways. Her right arm hung over the bed, her right foot poked out from crumpled sheets, she had her left arm wrapped around the small gingham stuffed dog clung closely to her side. Her mouth was wide open, and some drool was sliding away from her lips.

It was a funny sight, because she could recall Trina sleeping very similarly back when they were younger. Another familiar sight was the alarm going off, yet Rachel was ignoring it.

Tori sat on the edge of the bed, speaking softly. "Rachel. Rachel, it's time to wake up." The girl mumbled softly and turned her head the other direction on her pillow. "Oh, that's not going to work. My sister used to do this same thing when we were kids." She smirked as Rachel turned her head again.

The child mumbled something into her pillow, which sounded like a refusal. "You've got to get up and go to school." The girl mumbled something again, though much shorter and sharper. "Don't you want to see what Mr. Shapiro has planned for class today, Rachel?" The girl slid her right arm onto the bed and groaned. "Well okay, I guess I'm just going to have to let you sleep in, aren't I?"

"Mhm."

She stood from the bed, still smirking. When she was much younger, she used to get Trina out of the bed by tickling her feet. "My sister was just like this, but I was a master at waking her up. Want to know how?" She lifted Rachel's right foot upwards and watched as the girl opened her eyelids partially.

She then proceeded to tickle the center of Rachel's foot, causing the leg to twist and yank away. The girl shot upright and rubbed her eyes, groaning loudly. "I don't want to get up!"

"But then you'll miss Mr. Shapiro's class!" Tori gasped out and Rachel lowered her hands, looking at her with wide eyes. "I had a teacher back in the day that I liked, I didn't want to miss a day of his classes." Tori looked around the room, motioning to the drawings on the wall. "By the way, you have such beautiful drawings."

"They're not that good…"

"Are you kidding?" She looked dumbfounded and got up from the bed hastily and motioned to one of the drawings. "Look at this, stunning curvature of the lines. Perfect in-the-line coloring. The texture, the way the eyes pop off the page?" Rachel's face started to turn pink and she carefully pulled the covers off her. "You have a talent for this stuff."

"No I don't. My last fosters think I had a talent for anything…" Tori turned her head, her lips opening partially and her heart sinking. She let out a heavy sigh and walked over, sitting beside Rachel on the bed.

"Don't ever let people say you don't have a talent for something that you clearly have." Rachel looked down at her feet and shrugged. "You know what Mr. Shapiro told me?"

"What?"

"He told me he thinks you could go far with this. I think he's right." Tori winked and looked at one of the drawings on the wall. "I think one day you could have a full painting hanging in a museum somewhere." Rachel tilted her head.

"Never been in a museum before."

"Would you like to visit one?" She grinned from ear to ear as Rachel glanced to the side. The child folded her hands in her lap and swayed a bit to the left. She looked uncertain, but intrigued nonetheless. "I know a lot of good museums around town. Art museums, history museums."

"Mr. Shapiro is always talking about _The Getty_ museum." Tori raised her eyebrows, nodding gently. "It might be nice to go there."

"Certainly!"

"No one's ever taken me there though. So, you don't have to if you don't want to, I would understand."

She scoffed and waved her hand through the air. "Nonsense, we're going to _The Getty_. I'll take you there this weekend." She saw the girl's eyes brighten. Her heart swelled with joy as the girl hopped off the bed.

"If you mean it, then okay. I'll still understand if you decide not to." Tori furrowed her brow and watched as Rachel moved into the bathroom. It was sad to see how certain Rachel was that she wouldn't follow through; but then, the child must have seen so many broken promises in her lifetime.

As for the museum, she'd never been to The Getty museum herself, called the _J. Paul Getty Museum_ in full , it was famous for American and European art, stunning architecture and beautiful gardens.

It would be fun to go, as well as to show Rachel that she wasn't going to back down from her promise. Even if lately people might accuse her of not being one to keep her word, when seeing this child, she knew she didn't want to break it. This girl had enough disappointment in life, she could see that, and Tori wasn't about to be another notch on the belt of disappointment. At least not this time, not for this girl.

* * *

So what are your thoughts? Seems Robbie and Tori had a decent conversation, at least he seems to be civil. Finally we get to see Tori interact with Rachel, what are your thoughts? They'll probably enjoy that museum I bet.


	14. Day at the Museum

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 14 (Day at the Museum)

That Saturday started early, mainly because Tori wanted to get to the museum as soon as she could so Rachel could spend the day there. On the way to the facility, Tori received a phone call from Robbie. Surprised, she answered and tried not to sound too shocked. "Robbie, hi, what's going on?"

"Not much," Robbie replied, "You knew I was calling, huh?" She hesitated, making an uncertain noise that caused him to laugh. Trina had given her the phone numbers to add into her phone, but she'd been so afraid to call any of them. Of course all their numbers, family plans and other details were different. "Got your number from Trina."

"Yeah, yeah she gave me your numbers and I added all of them. I've just been too nervous to call anyone."

"I understand."

"So, what do I owe your phone call?"

"Well, Rachel has been in good spirits this week, seems someone volunteering at her shelter is taking her to the Museum." Tori grinned from ear to ear and started to confirm, but felt he likely already knew. "I think it's a good thing that you doing, Tori. It is nice to see Rachel taking an interest in the arts."

"She seems to favor you, she wanted to go to the Getty museum and said you've always talked about that particular one."

"Ah yes." Robbie chuckled softly and Tori could hear the squeak of a desk chair reclining. "I spent some of my college years studying and touring that museum. That, and the British Museum over in London." Her jaw dropped and she had to do a double take.

"How are you not a professor yet?"

"Oh I'm working on it, but for now I'm happy teaching the children." She admired that, though she felt like he would make a good professor too. "Actually both Cat and I would like to teach at the university level someday. It will probably happen, we're just not there yet."

"I can see that. It'd be nice, I think"

"Yeah. Anyway, I gave Rachel an assignment today." Tori hummed a bit, waiting for Robbie to tell her this was. "To have fun and then write a few short sentences about the piece that inspires or motivates her the most. If you can, get her talking and just ask her to tell you what she thinks of various pieces you encounter."

"Okay."

"She's twelve, so she probably won't go all art snob on you; but I think underneath all that sorrow is a very intelligent child. It would be good to pull that out." She agreed, there was more to Rachel than what met the eye, and Tori was interested in knowing what interested the child.

"Just watch, I'll ask her something about a Jacob Pollock painting." She said 'Jacob' by mistake and had little time to correct herself before she practically felt the cringe in Robbie's voice.

"That's _Jackson_ , Tori. Jackson Pollock."

Tori cleared her throat and tried to crack a joke to diffuse the embarrassing mistake. "All I'm saying is the guy threw paint on a canvas and calls it artwork." Robbie started laughing before trailing off with a sigh.

"You really are Trina's sister, jeez. I will leave you to it. Have fun today."

Tori said goodbye and hung up as she drove into the parking lot. Her eyes drifted to the list on the seat next to her, a list she prepared for things she'd like to get Rachel to do or experience as they went along. She was inspired by what her sister had said during their talk a while ago and based some of the items on that talk.

 _See the light of day-or watch the sunrise, see the shimmering stars at night, touch the morning grass fresh with dew, dip her toes into the crystal blue lake and listen to the birds sing. To enjoy life as Trina experienced as a child_.

Some of these items sounded basic on paper, but Tori was going to expand on them. She wanted to give Rachel a chance to experience these very simple things through activities. Such as going to a lake and fishing, going swimming at a park; and she knew some prime places that could be explored enough to hear the birds singing.

Then the last bit on the list was only serving to give her even more ideas. As a child, Trina got into a lot of things like martial arts, hiking, riding a bike, camping, and so much more. Trina liked to read, she liked to go to the zoo.

Yes, Tori was planning on giving Rachel the time of her life, give her a new perspective of this world she was living in, a happier perspective. She wanted Rachel to see all the wonders that life could hold, and for herself, to enjoy learn to enjoy these simpler things in life all again.

Trina did say she didn't want to volunteer, but Tori had plans for her to get involved too. She didn't want to be the only positive adult this girl could look up to. If at all possible, Tori might be able to convince her sister to join them on a few activities.

As she entered the door, she saw Rachel standing by the desk where Gloria was sitting. Rachel was wearing a red short-sleeved shirt with a single black stripe across the chest and sleeves, and a pair of smooth blue pants. They were much cleaner than the other outfits she'd seen.

"Wow you made it," Rachel said with an enthusiastic voice, "I thought you were going to change your mind."

"Of course not, I'm looking forward to seeing the museum just as much as you are." Rachel grinned, the first real time Tori got a chance to see it, and it was marvelous. "Just let me talk to Ms. Gloria for a moment and we'll get going."

"Okay." She saw the backpack on Rachel's back and wondered what all was in there, of course the front zipper had a small gingham dog head poking out. She couldn't help but to smile at the sight.

After receiving instructions from Gloria, and an understanding that she was to call in each hour to let them know where she was, they were ready to go. Once in the car, Rachel was nestled in the front seat holding her backpack. "So Rachel, what do you have in there?"

"A notebook and some scratch paper. Mr. Shapiro wants me to take notes and write about my experience."

"Sounds like a fantastic idea." She pointed to the little dog sticking out of the bag. "That toy is so cute, by the way." Rachel nodded her head and started to pat the toy on the head. Its fur was a bit matted and yellowed, and it looked like it was missing an eye. There was a red bandana tied around its neck that was faded and slightly torn. "You know, my sister had a toy just like that when she was young."

"I've had it forever. Your sister had one too?"

"Yep." Tori laughed, recalling the pure white stuffed toy Trina had. It got into a lot of tough scrapes, but Trina took care of it. "We even performed heart surgery on it once, you know." Rachel's eyebrows rose and Tori shrugged. "She took that toy everywhere." She paused and tilted her head a bit. "Wonder if she still has it. She always talked about wanting to make it a generation thing and give it to her kids if she ever had any."

"Does she any children? Do you?"

"Not that I know of, and I don't have any."

"Why did you perform heart surgery on a stuffed dog toy?"

Tori laughed again and shook her head. "It's silly really." Rachel wiggled her nose and studied her, appearing attentive. "We wanted to 'give it a heart', so to speak. We took a little picture of ourselves, folded it over and put it in the dog's chest where the heart should be. Trina's good at sewing, so she stitched it up pretty good."

"That sounds cool."

"We had a lot of fun when we were kids…"

At the museum, they had a rough time finding a spot to park, but once they did and managed to make their way to the front of the building, they were relieved to have made it. Tori watched as Rachel gasped and gawked at the sheer size of the building, looking all around at the exterior. "You know something? As nice as the outside is, I bet it'll be even more marvelous on the inside."

"It's so huge. I've never seen any place so big in my life!"

Once inside, Tori picked up a couple brochures and a map of the place. While studying the map, she kept an eye on Rachel, who was practically floored by the sheer size of the interior. "Where do you want to go first? There's so much to see." She smiled as the girl looked up to her.

"I want to see the paintings."

"Okay. Great choice!" Tori studied the map closely, then looked up to get her bearings. She spotted a hallway and pointed. "That's the way." Rachel walked forward, her eyes wide and searching every nook and cranny.

Tori thought about doing a tour before, but she always liked to explore things herself and found tours to be boring because they only kept to a specific path.

Eventually they came into a large room with a hardwood floor and walls chock full of paintings. Rachel ran up to one, in awe of it, and pointed. "I know this one. It's in one of the textbooks Mr. Shapiro was talking about." Tori walked up, stroking her chin gently and then chuckling at the painting.

It was, of course, the most famous painting of all. _The Mona Lisa._ She didn't chuckle because of that, however, she did so in wonder of seeing this child actually see the painting in real life. Granted, it wasn't the original copy, but that didn't matter much.

"What do you think of it?"

Rachel tilted her head. "She really needs to grow out her eyebrows." Tori moved her hand over her mouth and stifled a laugh. It was funny, she could remember Trina once saying the same exact thing. Trina never cared much for art, though she did like a couple pieces; but mainly paintings of nature and the environment. Jason was always the one that admired art more for what it was.

"But I think she's so pretty, Tori." Tori moved her hands behind her back, nodding slowly. "As Mr. Shapiro said, simple, happy. I'm not sure why she's happy, but she is." They moved to another painting, _The Fountain of Love_ , by Jean-Honore Fragonard, painted in 1785. Rachel clicked her tongue twice and shook her head. "A few naked people drinking out of a bowl offered by naked babies."

Tori raised her eyebrows in bemusement and nodded, agreeing with Rachel's assessment. Rachel paused for a moment. "I'm not sure if my interpretation is right."

"Oh I think Mr. Shapiro would be okay with that. He'd have to be, because art is about expression, and is usually open for the viewer to interpret however they please." Rachel's mouth opened into a circle and she nodded. "If it makes you feel a certain way, that's important."

"I understand. What do you think about this painting, Tori?" Tori blinked twice, slowly curling her finger over her chin and squinting at the painting.

"A naked couple drinking from a bowl offered by strange naked babies in the woods." She smiled as Rachel broke out in laughter. Tori could almost see the eyes rolling in the back of Robbie's head.

"Why are the paintings of people always naked?"

"I'm not sure. Not all of them are, just some. You'd have to ask Mr. Shapiro about that."

"Okay." The next painting that grabbed Rachel's attention was _Irises_ by Vincent Van Gogh. "This one's beautiful. Look at the flowers, Tori." Tori smiled and watched as Rachel became enchanted with it, appearing to study every petal and every leaf.

After a while, the girl decided she wanted to have a look at the sculptures, so they headed to where the antiquities could be found. Rachel seemed to like the statues, but gravitated more to the pottery. "Look at this one."

Tori walked up to the gold and black vase with two small handles at the top. On the top, golden half of the vase was an image of a man riding an ancient chariot and running with two horses. The jar was _Attic Panathenaic Amphora._ Rachel read the inscription detailing the artifact, making an 'ahh' sound. "These paintings were done during a religious festival that happened centuries ago. The crafting is gorgeous."

"It really is." Running through the sculpture room, Rachel had become enchanted with the tapestries and ancient artifacts. Then there were the drawings, which truly fascinated her; but the pieces that grabbed the little girl's attention most were the photographs.

Rachel seemed to spend five minutes on each photo, studying every minute detail. Her favorite appeared to be _Cape Horn, Colombia River, Oregon,_ a negative produced in 1867 and a print from around 1881 to 1883. Done by Carleton Watkins and I.W. Taper.

It was a beautiful image of a man in a boat overlooking a large body of water, with high rising cliffs on one side.

As Rachel studied the other pictures in the room, Tori took a seat on a nearby bench and crossed her legs. The girl came up to her after a while, grinning from ear to ear. "I like the pictures, and how they capture everything in like one moment." Understanding, Tori nodded and smiled at her.

"Yeah, you can capture a world of emotions ranging from sorrow, joy, love, anger…I agree, I like pictures a bit more than painting because, well-"

"You can capture something great in painting, but pictures seem to bring something more out. I'm not sure how to say it."

"I think you've said it pretty well right there."

Tori looked over and saw Trina walking into the room, looking around with arched eyebrows. "Trina?" Her sister stopped and looked over, smiling gently at her. "What are you doing here?"

"When I heard you were bringing a child to an _art_ museum, I just had to come witness that." Trina chuckled softly and Rachel looked up to her. "Hi there."

"Hi."

Tori closed her eyes, chuckling softly. "Trina, this is Rachel. She's the one I was telling you about." Trina hummed for a moment and Tori looked back to the child. "Rachel, this is my sister I've been telling you about."

"Oh." Rachel waved at Trina, still not saying much. "She's talked a lot about you."

"Good things, I hope." Trina laughed softly. "Are you enjoying the museum?"

"Yes."

"Ever go to a history museum?"

"No…but I'd like to." Trina looked to Tori, who immediately made a mental note of this. "I like the pictures a bit more than the paintings."

"So do I."

Tori moved forward, holding her hands together at her waist and sliding her thumb across the surface of her hand. "So Trina, I was thinking, I might need your help for something I've got planned later." Trina raised an eyebrow and watched as Rachel took off to look at some more of the photographs. "I want to take her camping and hiking one day. You're much more experienced than I am with that, so I was thinking, we could use a guide."

"I don't know, maybe…"

"You know some of the best trails." Trina gave a light laugh and looked to Rachel with a smile. "Maybe. She seems to be enjoying the artwork." She looked back to Tori with a shrug. "Just wanted to check in on you, see how you were doing. Didn't know if you needed any help with anything right now."

"No, I'm okay." Truth be told, she could see the boredom in Trina's eyes-or perhaps the loneliness. "Didn't have anything to do today, did you?" Trina bowed her head and sighed.

"No. Everyone's got something going on. Figured I'd hunt you down, join you for the day."

"Sure, it'll be fun having you with us. Even if you don't like art as much."

"I can appreciate it." Trina walked towards one of the pictures on the wall, rubbed her chin for a minute and looked to Rachel nearby. "Rachel, come look at this one." Rachel turned her head and moved over, studying the picture with a tilted head.

It was the picture titled _Barn in Hart's Location, New Hampshire_ around 1840, by Dr. Samuel A Bernis.

It was just a solitary wood barn with some wear and tear, a fence behind it, surrounded by a landscape of trees and mountains.

"It looks lonely."

Trina nodded. "Sad. It needs to be fixed up a bit, but it can be. Surrounded by all that beauty…" Rachel hummed and reached forward, placing her hand on the wall beside the picture as she leaned in.

"It is very isolating, maybe someone will come by and patch it up?" Trina looked down at Rachel, pulling her hand from her chin for a minute. She smiled as the girl looked up at her. "Now I understand even more, it's not just the people in the pictures that show the emotion. It's everything, the scenery, the buildings. They make you feel a certain way."

"Yep, that's what the photographer is trying to do, stirring up those emotions in you."

Tori walked up slowly, smiling at the pair. "We could grab some lunch if you guys want." Almost instantly, Rachel's hand flew to her stomach. Trina laughed and gave a quick nod.

"I think we're all hungry."

It wasn't long before they were at a diner, in which all three had large portions of food. Trina managed to find an old camera of hers from her car, it was a good quality digital camera. She gave it to Rachel, saying she never used it anymore and thought Rachel might like to take some pictures with it.

And on Monday morning, the girl walked to Robbie's desk, ready to hand in her assignment. Gloria helped her to organize a little. Attached to the papers was a photograph. "What's this?" Robbie asked while picking up the photo. Rachel's eyes brightened and she explained.

"I'm calling it a day at the museum." Robbie curled a finger over his chin, smirking for a bit. "Or the two sisters. I don't know which." She pointed to the older sibling. "She gave came to join us and gave me a camera. This is my first ever picture."

The picture showed clearly a full table of food, with the museum in the background of the image. The two girls at the table were caught unaware of the picture being taken. In it, Tori held a fork and was speaking, while Trina was in the process of wiping her mouth. Her eyes were closed and lines stretched from them, giving the appearance of laughter. The sunlight lit up the area, giving a seemingly glowing affect around the pair.

"Very well done." Rachel smiled as Robbie looked up at her. "This captures the moment perfectly."

"I like spending time with them…they seem nice…"

"Yeah, I know em both." He smiled as Rachel leaned forward a bit, her eyebrows rising with surprise. "They are very nice people, I think you'll have lots of fun with them if you decide to spend more time with them."

* * *

So it seems the trip to the museum was fun, and even Trina decided to tag along. Got to admit the moment at the end was pretty good. Let me know what you thought of this chapter.


	15. Breakdown

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This chapter's title is inspired by the song by Tom Petty

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Chapter 15 (Break Down)

Tori woke up early morning and looked around the small apartment with a heavy sigh. Trina had left her the furniture, which was great; and of course it was nice to sleep in a full, clean bed again. Not that the motel room she had wasn't nice, but it had a few issues.

She missed Trina, missed having someone to talk to in the morning time. Not to mention she missed those two cats, it was always nice to wake up and seeing one sleeping on her chest. She understood why Trina had to go, and knew it wasn't because of her; but that didn't change the feeling that she was alone.

Even when she was a celebrity, she felt alone.

Upon finishing her coffee, she stood in front of the large living room window and gazed out at the landscape of trees just past the parking area and fence. With a sigh, she took a sip of her coffee and looked down at the street as a car drove by. "Wonder what Trina's up to right now? Probably just getting ready for work or helping Dad with something."

She didn't want to bother Trina. She knew people valued personal space, and she'd been constantly talking to Trina the past few days. She could attempt to see if any of her old friends would bother with her, but she didn't expect so.

Still, it was worth a try. Moving over to the end table beside the couch, Tori picked up her phone and scrolled through her contacts. Eventually she landed on Andre, feeling like he might be willing to give her a shot. "I'm bored," she texted, "Would it be alright to just chat? You can come over or we could go somewhere, I just need to talk to someone and I want to give Trina some space." She sent the text reluctantly, half certain Andre would either reject her or give no response.

After a while, she turned on the television and took a seat. Grabbing the remote. She scanned through the channels almost absently. "Why is it when you're bored, there's nothing on but when you're busy and have stuff to do, everything that could possibly be on is on?" She rolled her eyes and shut off the television after deciding she didn't want to watch anything in particular.

Moving to the bedroom, she thought maybe it would be best to take a nap. A knock on the door pulled her attention from the bed and drew her back into the front room. She wasn't expecting any visitors so she checked the peephole of the door. Shockingly there was a man standing on the other side, he was tall and had salt and peppered hair parted down the middle, and a fluffy beard. In one hand he held a bottle of chardonnay. He was incredibly well dressed and had deep blue eyes that seemed to pop from his face and draw her in.

"No." Tori grabbed her chest just as her heart shot from her chest. She quickly opened the door, staring the man down. "Hudson, what are you doing here? How did you even find out where I live?"

"It's not that hard to figure it out," Hudson replied with a smooth smile. He walked in before she could shut the door on him. "I brought you a bottle of wine. A truce." She crossed her arms and looked off to the side, gently biting the corner of her lip. Trina would tell her to shove him out the door, and potentially throw the bottle at his head-or she'd say keep the bottle and shove him out the door.

She glanced out the door, looking around to see if Barbara were somewhere nearby. Every red flag and warning bell was going off in her mind; but at the same time, this was the man she spent so much time with and the last person that made her feel okay.

Even if spending time with him destroyed everything she worked so hard for. "It's a shame." Hudson slowly shut the door with his foot, only leaving it cracked slightly. He stood so close to Tori that she could almost smell the faint cologne on him. He never wore much, never enough that was noticeable unless he were close enough. "To see you falling so far. I am truly sorry my wife did this to you, to us."

"You're suggesting you're a victim too?" Tori struggled to breathe, holding onto her breath as he raised his hand to her face. "Hudson, it's over between us."

"It doesn't have to be. I'm leaving her, Tori. I've been thinking about you, and only you." Her heart skipped a beat, but her brain deceived her heart. She pushed his hand away and sliding beneath his arm.

"I'd rather you left. I still don't know how you found out where I live." She had her ideas. After Barbara's attempt to criminalize her for entering Hollywood Arts, she suspected the pair were following her. At the very least, she was certain Hudson was. "And I'm not interested in maintaining any kind of relationship with you."

"Well, can we at least talk?" He started to open the bottle of wine. Tori saw the cap was a twist-off, and it looked like the bottle had already been open. He walked into the kitchen and started to open the cabinet above the stove. "Do you have any wine glasses up here?"

"You're not welcome here, Hudson. Please leave, I won't ask again." Hudson spotted the wine glasses and grabbed two. As he poured the wine, Tori thought maybe it wouldn't be a problem if she simply talked to him. Something scared her about him, however. Everything in her body was shouting in alarm, something dangerous was in the air and she didn't know what.

As she moved to the window, she looked around, still trying to see if she could spot Barbara anywhere. Hudson walked up behind her and she stiffened, sucking in a deep breath as Hudson wrapped his arm around her to hold a drink in front of her. She placed a hand on his wrist and looked down at the wine, studying it closely.

"Hudson, I…I'm not ready to talk. After that whole thing on Twitter-"

"I'm sorry about that, Tori. My wife forced me." She felt his body against her back and closed her eyes. Fear made her body shiver as his hand slowly touched her arm and slid down. "Have a drink, let's sit down and talk this over." Tori turned around, her eyebrows closing together and pushing up in the center.

"Maybe just one drink." Hudson smiled as she carefully took the glass from his hand. Her eyes drifted to the counter where a second glass, presumably his was still sitting. "Why don't you go grab your drink?" He nodded and walked over to the counter while she returned to the couch. Carefully, she pressed her lips against the edge of the glass, leaving a faint lipstick mark on the rim, then set the drink on the end table.

Hudson turned around, his eyes drifting to the glass. A different smile formed on his face and his eyes squinted just a bit. "How's the wine?" He took a seat on the other side of the couch and Tori slowly licked her lips.

"Good. It's been a while since I had a decent chardonnay." She picked up the glass, then stood up. "If you don't mind, I'm going to go freshen up in the bathroom right quick." Hudson extended an arm over the top of the couch and gave a swift nod.

Tori scurried into the bathroom, turned on the sink faucet and poured the wine down the drain. "Something's wrong. Something is…I don't know." She ran her hands through her hair several times and paused upon looking at her reflection.

She saw the victim looking back at her, covered in the stains of his touch. She saw the pain of betrayal in her eyes, the scars of the past. "Why are you even talking to him? You know better. You know Barbara is just around the corner. Why? Why are you such a glutton for punishment?"

"I'm not. I can't get rid of him."

"You can. Do it. Don't entertain him."

Her hands trembled as her fingers curled into her palms. With a pained gasp, she grabbed the glass and walked back into the living room. "Okay." She sat on the couch and Hudson seemed to move closer while she leaned away. "Drank it all in the bathroom." She showed him the glass. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I can pour some more if you'd like."

"No thank you. Really." She smiled with her teeth showing and looked to his glass, which looked to still be as full as though he'd just poured it. "What about you? Had any of the wine yet?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, it's fantastic." Tori glanced at the window in time to see a drone fly by. With her eyebrows rising, she sucked in a deep breath. No sooner than she saw it did she see a rock crash into it. Hudson turned his head and paused as they heard the drone crash into the pavement below. "Odd."

"Hudson, I'd like you to leave now." She closed her eyes tight and stood from the couch. "Please. Just go."

"But Tori-" The door swung open and Tori froze up just as Hudson spun around on his feet. Andre stood at the door, his eyes sharp and narrow and his hands closed firmly.

"Hi," Andre stated with an eerily calm voice, "You must be Hudson. It's so nice to meet you." Andre walked into the apartment and Hudson took a small step back. "I believe she asked you to leave; but regardless, you'd better go."

"That's impolite, I don't think you've introduced yourself."

"Not going to repeat myself." Andre reached into his pocket and removed his cell phone, in which he showed a picture of Barbara hiding in some bushes nearby with a remote control. "I'm someone that's about to make your life a living hell. So, If you know what's good for you, you will leave." Hudson rolled his eyes and took off without further word, and Andre quickly shut the door behind him.

Tori let out a large sigh of relief and collapsed into the couch. "Oh my god." She buried her face into her hands and groaned. "Andre, thank you. I-how did you even?"

"You sent me a text. I was about to answer, noticed on the twitter feed that Barbara checked in somewhere near your apartments. Figured something was up. Guess I was right. Tori looked towards the wine glasses and then the bottle on the counter.

"Andre, I'm not sure but I feel like there was something in the wine. The seal wasn't intact when he brought it here. I didn't drink any of it, poured my glass down the sink…Something was off."

"Glad I decided to swing by then. Was going to tell you that I was on my way to a meeting." She frowned and her heart started to sink as Andre turned to glance back at the door. "I'd like you to come with me to this meeting, however, I think it will be beneficial."

"Really?" She raised her head and arched a brow at him. "How will it be?"

"I've been doing some research. You're not the first person they've done this to." She stood up, still curious and now more confused than before. "I've contacted a few people, so if you don't mind."

She was too jittery to turn him down and let him leave while Hudson might still be around, or his wife for that matter. Rather than risk another encounter, she opted to go with him.

Where they went seemed like a small easily missed building, there wasn't any kind of sign over the front doors, or any windows to peer into. Still feeling anxious, she stayed close to Andre, hoping he wouldn't change his mind and decide to leave her behind.

One they made it through the doors and down a hall, Andre entered a room where a circle of people sat in chairs waiting for someone. They all looked up, waving at him and giving him affirmative nods.

"Sorry I'm late, I had to go help out Tori here." Andre motioned for her to sit in an empty chair in part of the circle. She curled a strand of hair behind her ear and walked to the chair. "Thank you all for coming. I want you to know that this is a safe place, anything you say in here is strictly confidential, and it will be up to you to decide if you wish to go public. This here is a support group."

* * *

A scary moment, I'm sure. Thankfully Andre saw the warning sign and decided to take a detour. Looks like Tori's only the latest in what seems to be more than meets the eye. Let's see what Andre's got up his sleeve, and why he seems to have it out for the power couple. What are your thoughts so far? Aside from Barbara ought to be burnt at stake and Hudson hung from the neck until dead?


	16. A Safe Place

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 16 (A Safe Place)

Twelve other women sat in the circle, and Andre took a seat in the center. Tori ran her hands gently over her leg, trying to make sense of it all. It seemed there were a couple people well older than she was; but that wasn't surprising because Hudson and Barbara were older. They were fifty-four, almost, and had been established in the industry for thirty years. This was, of course, how they got to be so powerful.

It appeared the oldest person was in her forties, meaning the debauchery had been going on at least twenty years now. "Another young starlet," remarked the woman, "Whose career is now ruined thanks to these two." Tori bowed her head and listened as another woman spoke up.

"Something's got to be done. None of us will ever get our careers back; but we can stop the terrorizing."

"That is the plan," Andre replied. Tori raised her head, looking at him with frozen silence. "I've gathered you here as support group, to lean onto each other; but I have some attorneys that are more than willing to listen to anybody that chooses to talk."

Someone else growled and Tori looked over to see the girl cross her arms. "How did any of us let a creepy, sleazy old slimebag charm us?" Tori didn't know how to feel, apparently being the latest victim. On one hand, she was appalled and embarrassed that she never knew, and on the other hand she was glad that someone was doing something to keep there from being more after her.

"None of this is any of your faults," Andre said softly, "I want you to understand that." The women all murmured and shifted around in their seats. "Why don't we get this underway with some introductions? As you know, I'm Andre Harris. The reason I'm here is because Barbara and Hudson must be stopped." The determination in his voice seemed to match the anger in his eyes; but Tori was confused as to where this was coming from.

Too anxious to speak aloud, she raised her hand a bit until she caught Andre's eye. He called out to her and she cleared her throat. "Andre, why? Why are you doing all this?" Andre raised an eyebrow and some of the girls nodded. "What's this about? Is it just about doing the right thing? Or is there something else?"

Andre closed his eyes, his nostrils expanding a bit and his brow wrinkling. "Yes. For the most part, it's doing the right thing; but there is more to it, Tori. Seeing them wreck you like this, it woke something, reminded me of something…" His eyes opened and a new rage flourished in his eyes, only this looked like the rage that accompanied vengeance. "It's personal."

He placed one hand in his lap and lifted another, looking directly into her eyes. "You remember my grandmother, Tori." She pressed her lips firmly together, letting a hum vibrate on them as she nodded. "How I came to live with her and all that."

"I do. A little. You told the story in our senior year of high school." He had a father and two brothers who perished in a fire. She remembered that part.

"There's a lot more to it than that." He lowered his hand, curling it firmly around his other hand. "My father was a jazz artist, and my mom? She was a dancer. She wanted to be bigger, come out to Los Angeles where her parents were-make something of her life. She was young, very young."

"Okay."

"Well, she met this young guy studying to be one of these fabled Hollywood execs." A lump started to swell in her throat. "Mind you this was thirty-four years ago, before I was born and before Mr. Hudson Watson was even a household name. He strung her along four quite some time." He rolled his head to the right and cleared his throat. "Of course it came out both of them were married, and swearing to leave their spouses for a world of glamour."

"Then what?"

"Then what? When I was eight years old, my father, in a jealous rage, set fire to our home." Her jaw dropped and the others stared at Andre with widening eyes. "My two brothers died, but mom and I escaped to California." He leaned back slowly, crossing his arms. "But it doesn't end there. My mother continued to see Hudson-I remember seeing Barbara in person one day…" He pressed his lips firmly together, the rage in his eyes now reaching a new, higher point. "Hudson was with her, and he was telling my mother that they were going to cut it off."

"How long ago was that?"

"I was ten. Hudson and Barbara had just landed the jobs which would put them where they are now." He cleared his throat and shut his eyes. "My mom threatened to come out with the relationship, expose him as a liar and a cheat. Barbara told her that she was just a nobody, unimportant and insignificant. No one would listen to someone whose voice didn't matter…"

Andre's eyelids rose halfway, his gaze now somewhat faded. "Barbara gunned my mother down in cold blood, and that bastard helped her dispose of the body." Tori's hands flew to her mouth and she choked back a startled scream. "No proof, no evidence, just a scared little boy hiding in the kitchen pantry."

Not only was it horrifying, but it explained why Andre seemed to be following Barbara's every move. He was looking for something, watching for anything that he could use to tear her down. "Oh my god, Andre, I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's good to get that off my chest. My mother couldn't have done much at the time, and these days a celebrity can literally get away with murder just because they're rich and famous." He crossed his arms and expanded his chest, raising up his shoulders. "However, the reason I've gathered all of you is because you're thirteen celebrities whose lives have been screwed by these two. If nothing else, maybe, just maybe there can be some justice for all of you."

He gave a quick nod of respect to a woman in the room that looked like she was almost fifty. "Margaret, why don't we lead off with you?" Margaret nodded. Her once vibrant blonde hair now faded and up in a bun, she clung to a tiny purse in her lap.

"I'm Margaret Adams. I met Hudson twenty years ago, I was thirty at the time. At the time, it was just an affair, they weren't acting together. Like everyone here, he helped make me a star-I was an actress, and I thought I was a good one. He would buy me flowers, chocolates, tell me I was the best actress around."

Tori's heart sank as she remembered a lot of the same. "Hudson's a user," she whispered. Margaret, sitting beside her, heard and agreed. "Barbara found out and threatened that if I did not end things with Hudson. Hudson promptly told me not to worry about her, that he was ending things and that we would be together. Barbara, however, made good on her promise and slammed me in all the papers and created horrible lies about me. Lies that all the important people of the time believed. It was so difficult for me, I gave up acting altogether and moved away…I haven't even been back in California until Andre contacted me just recently."

The next woman was Abby Grant. Abby's tale was very similar to Margaret's, and she met Hudson at a fairly close time after Margaret. Two years apart, to be precise, and at the time, she was twenty-seven. Following her Rebecca Nelson, Courtney Adams, Francine Taylor, and Erin Lowry were all people whose names Tori recognized within the celeb field.

They were all within close vicinity of each other as well, with some being mere _months_ apart. With Erin, the behavior seemed to change. Barbara started to relish the power she had, she wanted to use it. Erin had offended her once, so she had Hudson seduce the girl into an affair just so she could slander her and destroy her career.

It worked.

The next girl was a shock to Tori, they'd been staring at each other for some time. " _Carly Shay?_ Seriously?" Carly was about four years older than she was, which meant at the time Tori was getting discovered in her first year of college, Carly would have been twenty two. Carly clicked her tongue and exhaled sharply.

"Yeah. I knew I remembered you from when we visited LA back in the day." Carly crossed her arms and looked to Andre. "Him as well." Tori did a double take, still unable to believe what she was seeing. "I was in Italy around the time I got the call." She chuckled sorely and popped her jaw. "Mr. Hudson was adamant that he'd seen all my _iCarly_ webshows and wanted to make me a star. So he offered to fly me out."

"Oh my god. I-I remember Cat rooming with Sam Puckett back in that time period, maybe a few years before."

"They were still in the same apartment then," Andre stated.

"Oh…"

"Sam's the reason Hudson _almost_ got caught, actually." Carly laughed nonchalantly and leaned back a bit. "You see, I caught on to their little game when he started making advances. Granted, I liked it at first. He led me on. It was when we started appearing in tabloids and I started seeing his wife around a little more often that I started to wonder."

"So what happened?"

"I asked Sam to follow us, figure out what was going on. So she did." Carly pressed her lips firmly together, narrowing her eyes and looking away. "The last night we were together, I challenged him. His wife had sent former and current fans every picture of me as the 'other woman', destroyed my 'innocent image' of the old iCarly star and I was pretty much done. Then, he tried to damage me further…"

The lump in Tori's throat grew immensely and she remembered what happened with Hudson earlier. Was Carly when Hudson and Barbara started getting bolder? "While his wife sat outside with a camera, he started to attack me. Sam saw what was happening and came rushing in with a crowbar…" Carly smirked and a strange emotion flickered in her eyes. "That scar on his forehead? Yeah, that's from Sam. It was all over, he didn't want to have to explain anything, and Barbara was trying to bribe everyone out of trouble. We didn't want to go through the trouble at the time of reporting him, which in hindsight, I feel terrible about now."

"Who knows," Margaret said, "You might not have been successful back then." Carly sighed and shrugged.

"Still wish I _tried_. Then maybe, just maybe there wouldn't be about seven more girls after me."

"Or you could have wound up dead," Andre said with a somber tone. The girls nodded and Carly smacked her lips. "Unable to get your story out. It's better that you survived them and you're here now, to where all of you can do something…"

The others were relatively similar, but their stories showing a more aggressive pattern in Barbara. The couple were getting bolder, smarter, and more cunning. Then finally, it was Tori's turn. She could hardly speak through the tears that she'd begun crying throughout the tales. Her emotions were haywire and she didn't know what to say.

"He didn't discover me, but I had a few agents before meeting him." The agents didn't have anything to do with it, it was something else that she never thought of at the time. After hearing some of the stories, though, she began to understand. "Andre, do you remember Dale Squires?"

"That hack director guy that came to the school when we were teenagers?" He raised an eyebrow and Tori started to nod.

"I got a phone call from Barbara at some point in my career, before I met Hudson, and she said that was her brother and she'd not forgotten what I did to him."

"Well, we did get him fired…Can't say I remember whatever happened to him after that, he sort of dropped off the radar."

"Yeah." Tori grabbed a tissue from the box on the table behind her and quickly blew her nose. "Well I didn't think much of it at the time. She threatened me, said I didn't deserve to be a star. I didn't think to pay any attention, especially since I'd all but forgotten about the guy."

"Shit." Barbara could have kept an eye on her all that time, just watching to see if she would get discovered and waiting. Tori wiped the tears from her face and hugged her stomach. "I met Hudson a week later, he offered to be my next agent and take care of everything I needed. I liked him, I thought he was so sweet. Of course, he didn't tell me he had a wife or anything."

She felt Margaret rub her shoulder and looked over to see Carly shooting her a sympathetic look. "By the time I found out, it was too late. Everything's ruined, everything's in shambles, and Hudson won't leave me alone."

"That'll happen," spoke one of the girls, "It means they're not done damaging you. Making certain you'll never come back into the picture…" Tori sniffled and looked away, her hand running down her arm.

"I don't know what I want. If I'm honest, I kind of like the job I have right now."

She remained silent for a moment, until Andre reached out to them. "You want to tell them what happened earlier, Tori? Are you comfortable with that?" Tori nodded slowly, her chest burning.

"I think Hudson was going to drug me." Andre had called the police earlier before they came, to send the samples of the wine and glasses to the lab. "He found my apartment, came in and kept trying to seduce me. He was touching me, leaning in and everything….had a bottle of wine that I noticed looked like it'd already been open, so I got scared."

The others gasped and Carly nodded. "Good on you for checking. You obviously didn't drink any of it?"

"Right…I'd texted Andre beforehand because I was bored, so I guess that's what got him over; but if it hadn't been for Andre, I'm not sure what would have happened…"

"Nothing good."

"We will put a stop to this," Andre remarked. A bulge appearing between his eyebrows as he creased his brow and the skin tightened around his eyes and lips. "We will end their reign of terror and control."

* * *

A few surprises, a few sad tales. At least something is being done, and maybe once they get the results on that bottle of wine they'll have something more tangible than just their word. So, what are your thoughts?


	17. Camping Trip Day 1

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 17 (Camping Trip: Day 1)

She couldn't get out of her head the support group, knowing that she was just another girl strung along in the game of this power couple. At the same time, she was grateful something was getting done about this, even if it seemed so late. The women were all afraid to speak up before; but now they could all band together.

Perhaps the best thing for her right now was this camping trip she was on. Trina was along as a guide, and Rachel seemed eager to learn all about camping. Of course, Tori had a few things to learn as well. "Seriously Tori, you don't go camping in a dress." Trina crossed her arms and Tori peered down at the now dirty torn dress she was wearing. "Unless you want to ruin it."

"I grabbed like the first thing that I had in my closet." She tucked her hair back and chuckled nervously. "Just happened to be a dress." Rachel was nearby, getting the campfire ready. Trina had been showing her how to do that. With a smile, Trina shook her head and looked at the tent supplies.

"Alright, let's get the tent set up." It was just going to be a weekend trip, and one that Gloria surprisingly allowed. The woman said it would be a great bonding time and educational experience for Rachel. Which meant Tori could check off stargazing on her list of things she wanted Rachel to experience.

Rachel moved over as Trina knelt next to the bag containing the tent supplies. Tori smiled as she watched her sister pull out some metal hooks. "These are our tent hooks, these serve as an anchor." Rachel took the hook, listening intently and giving a swift nod.

As her sister continued to explain the process of setting up a tent, Tori looked at their car where clothing and other materials were. The small stuffed dog sat atop Rachel's bag. It seemed to stare back at her, beckoning her curiosity.

"Hey Tori." She looked back to her sister. Trina was tightening the hair tie on her ponytail. She had on a short sleeved tee and long cargo pants. "Have you ever pitched a tent before? You ought to be over here listening, I'm starting to think Rachel's a better student." Rachel snickered as Tori walked over, smiling as she rolled her eyes.

"Sorry teacher." Trina had gone camping a lot with their father when she was young, then with Jason when they were together, so it was no surprise the woman knew how to rough it and live off nature. She knew more than Tori about it all, that was for sure. "I'm just the supplier of smores."

Trina and Rachel looked at each other sideways and Trina teased a smirk. "Smores won't be very good when you don't have a place to sleep after eating them." Tori knelt down with a brisk huff.

"I can totally pitch a tent. Totally. Can't be that hard."

Trina raised an eyebrow. "Considering this is a four person tent, one of the tougher styles, I don't think you'd be able to pitch it that easily without help."

"I accept your challenge!" Trina laughed and playfully nudged Rachel, motioning for her to step away. The two walked to a nearby tree with a cooler beside it. Trina opened the cooler, grabbed a bottle of water and handed it over to the girl.

Seeking to impress, Tori made a mad attempt at pitching the tent. What this meant was trying to hook up the long poles, bending them and anchoring the structure all by herself while trying to sip them through the fabric.

It took her some time, and all she could succeed in doing was generating a tangled mass. "Okay," she said when finally throwing down the poles with exasperation, "I need help."

Trina grabbed one of the poles. "Thought you might." Rachel hurried over to help. With the three of them working together, they got the tent set up in no time. It was a large, rectangular shaped tent with a hooded roof over the front door. The girls moved their sleeping bags inside and Rachel set her stuffed dog on the center bag.

"Be careful with your pup," Trina advised. Rachel nodded slowly as Trina studied the dog. "I had one like that when I was a kid. Thought I lost it on a camping trip with my dad, fortunately we were able to retrace our steps and found it along one of the trails we walked on."

Rachel grabbed her dog and hugged it to her chest. "I won't lose her." Trina picked up her canteen and raised it to her lips.

That evening, after everything was set up, Tori convinced Trina to walk them up the path to an overlook that seemed to canvas an entire forest. "Careful not to stand too close to the edge," Tori warned. Rachel looked at the edge of the cliff and stayed close to her side. "Look at the sky."

Rachel gazed up and her eyes grew large. The setting sun had painted the sky a beautiful orange with pink swirls throughout. "Wow! It's so beautiful." Rachel reached into her small backpack and pulled out the camera that Trina had given her before. "I want to take some pictures."

"Go ahead. No better way to enjoy and relieve your experiences than by pictures." Rachel grinned and instantly snapped a picture of the sunset. Tori stepped out of her way and next to Trina as Rachel walked carefully along the edge without getting too close, taking pictures of almost every piece of scenery she could.

"She really is a smart kid," Trina said softly, "Hard to believe she's stuck in that orphanage." Tori gave an affirmative nod and moved her hands to her waist.

"I don't know much about her situation. Just that her adoptive father died and her adoptive mother started abusing and neglecting her." Trina frowned and moved her hand to her stomach, groaning softly. "After that, she went from foster care to foster care, occasionally being adopted but neglected because she was either the older child or 'not theirs'. Something like that…"

"Damn. I can't stand thinking about it."

"Yeah. It's horrible." Tori saw the stuffed dog on the ground, so she carefully placed it into Rachel's pack. "Don't want her losing that. I can't help but to wonder if she got that from her adoptive family or her biological-or maybe Gloria gave it to her." Trina shrugged.

"They're rare now. The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat were popular back in the eighties and nineties. They've kind of fallen off the radar since then." They'd surely be worth some money, but they're likely more sentimental in value than anything. "Anyway, this is a good thing you're doing for her, Tori."

"I feel like it's important." Tori watched as Rachel focused her camera on the river below. "Poor thing, I can't imagine why anyone would give her up."

"Me either, sounds like she's had bad luck growing up. At least she's got someone now to help, even if it's only in volunteering." Trina folded her arms across her chest and leaned against a tree, her eyes drifting towards Tori. "Andre mentioned something happened with Hudson and Barbara. Everything okay?" She froze, slowly turning towards her sister.

"I don't want to worry you."

"That will only make me worry more, and you know it."

She chuckled sadly and shrugged. "How's dad holding up? He still upset with you over something?" Trina rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Nice change of subject, and no. I mean, if you really want to know, he and Mom were really hoping for a grandkid for the last couple years. Evidently they took it personally that I had no interest in dating." Tori's brow furrowed and her hands closed together.

"Why? Are you still hurting over losing Jason?"

"No." Trina pushed forward and heaved forth a heavy exhale. "I mean, I miss him every day, and part of me will always miss him; but he's not the reason I've called off dating. I dated a few times after him, none of them were good experiences. Then, I realized, I'm much happier being single."

"I understand. Sometimes it's for the best. What about kids? Don't you want any some day?" Trina looked downwards and her body seemed to slide down a bit.

"One day sure. I'd probably end adopting." It was difficult to believe that their father was so upset about not having any grandkids, so she had to assume there was something else. "There's more to it isn't there? What else is there?"

"Something I'm not entirely ready to talk about yet." Knowing when to push and when to back off, she decided to change the subject.

"Hudson and Barbara have been stringing people along for a long time, I'm just the latest victim." Her sister's jaw dropped and a look of anger flashed in her eyes. "Andre took me to a support group. He helped me out the other day, catching the warning signs and noticing that Barbara was near the apartments."

"Oh god. Tori…"

"Hudson came over." She looked towards Trina, trying to muster a smile through the anxiety. "He um, he had a bottle of wine that looked like it was tampered with. We turned it over to the police." Trina took a step forward, her eyebrows quivering a bit as she raised a hand to Trina's shoulder. "He tried to drug me. I didn't drink anything."

"And Barbara?"

"She was outside. Trying to use a drone to look in and take pictures. Probably, she was going to try and get pictures of us making out and…and…" Tears welled up in her eyes and Trina pulled her close, wrapping her arms firmly around her. She shut her eyes and smiled as her sister's warmth spilled over her like a cleansing wave.

"I love you Tori, I want you to know that. I will always have your back, okay? You need to know I will always be here, if ever you need me." Trina leaned back and Tori gazed into her eyes, giving a quick nod.

"We're going to try and take them to court. Everyone they ever hurt, they're all going to testify. Barbara. She and Hudson started targeting people they didn't like. You remember that Dale Squires guy?"

"Barely."

"He was her brother apparently. From the minute I got discovered she was waiting for an opportunity."

"I am so sorry." Trina hugged her one more time, slowly running a hand down the backside of her hair. "I know what it's like to be used like that."

"I hope it all ends soon, that I won't have to see him ever again."

"It will get better, Tori." Trina looked up at the night sky, then back to her with a smile. "You remember that list of yours, right?" Tori wiped her face and sniffled. "The stars are coming out now. Why don't we go ahead and grab Rachel, show her the stars." Tori coughed one time and smiled through the tears running along her face.

"That sounds great. I've been waiting for a chance to do that."

In just a matter of minutes, they were all back at the tents, laying on a large blanket and looking up at the sky. The stars dotted the horizon, bordered by the tops of the trees. Tori and Trina were leaning inwards, their heads almost touching, while Rachel was in between them just a little bit lower than their heads.

"Look up there." Tori pointed at a constellation. "That's the Big Dipper." Rachel's eyebrows pushed up and she turned her head backwards to gaze at them.

"Kind of hard to see, but the stars look like little diamonds."

"Yep. Makes me think of an old childhood song."

"What song?"

"Ever heard 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star?" Rachel paused, holding her breath for a minute while watching a star shoot across the sky.

"Did you see that?"

"Yep," Trina replied, "Close your eyes and make a wish. Don't repeat it or it won't come true." Rachel gasped and shut her eyes tight, clutching the stuffed dog just under her chin. "Say with me. 'Star light, Star bright'…"

"Star light," Rachel whispered, "Star bright."

Tori smiled as the little girl repeated the lines with Trina. "First star I see tonight. I wish I may, I wish I might…Have this wish I wish tonight." Trina pat the child on the shoulder and whispered to her. "Now make your wish, but keep it to yourself." With a nod, Rachel's lips moved without speaking. The girl opened her eyes slowly, gazing up at the sky.

After a few minutes she started to yawn. Her eyelids started to close and Trina gently nudged Tori in the side.

With that, Tori started to sing, her voice as soft as the breeze. "Twinkle, twinkle little star. How I wonder what you are…" Rachel's eyes opened and she blinked twice. Trina joined in, singing the next line.

"Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky." Rachel looked up at Trina with a tiny smile, then closed her eyes one more time. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are…"

Tori did the same, letting her thoughts drift off into the night as sleep came over her. She'd never slept under the stars before, and truth be told, she enjoyed it.

* * *

Sweet little moment at the end there. Seems the sisters are fond of that young child, and she seems to be taken with them. Quite the day out camping, pretty good time to relax and just focus on being alive. Although, at least Tori's sister has some experience camping out with their dad. Too bad David couldn't make the trip. What are your thoughts about this chapter?


	18. Camping Trip Day 2

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 18 (Camping Trip: Day 2)

Tori woke with the sunlight piercing through her eyelids, with a light yawn she sat upright and stretched her arms out. To her surprise, she was still on the blanket from the night before. Neither Trina or Rachel were still there, but she could smell something cooking nearby. "What's that smell?" She swiveled to the right, bending her left knee upwards and hanging her arm over it.

Trina was standing in front of a pot raised above a fire while Rachel was making her way towards her with some freshly cut wood. "I'm making some fresh, hearty soup." Trina lifted a ladle up, revealing golden broth and large chunks of chicken and noodles. "Not what you had in mind for breakfast, but the perfect comfort food with protein for early morning."

She licked her lips and looked up at the sky, to see the sun fully risen. "I can't believe I slept in."

"Slept like a baby. Haven't seen you sleep that still in a long time." Tori laughed once and pushed herself to her feet. "You can cross watching the sunrise off your list though, Rachel and I both woke up before the sun." She snapped her fingers and watched the child throw the firewood into the fire, careful to lean away so the flame wouldn't touch her.

"I can't believe I missed it." She ran her hand over her shoulder, sighing heavily. "Guess I needed the sleep though. I've been having a few restless nights lately." Years ago, she would laugh whenever Trina or her father said camping and the great outdoors was therapeutic; but there was something soothing and good for the soul about being surrounded by all this nature.

Trina poured some soup into a small cup shaped bowl and walked it over. "I never thought I'd say it, Trina, but you and dad were right." She took the bowl once her sister offered it to her and smiled as she delicately grabbed the spoon. "Camping out is really a great thing. Should do it more often."

"I'd love to," Rachel piped. Trina smirked and gently rubbed the girl on the top of her head. Tori was impressed, and thrilled at what she was seeing. This camping trip was even helping Rachel come further out of her shell. "I've taken a lot of pictures too. I can't wait to show Mr. Shapiro."

"Oh?" Rachel sat beside Tori, leaning in with her camera and revealing the digital images on the screen. "Hey look, you found a rabbit?" There on one of the images, neatly tucked away in some shrubbery was a small woodland bunny chowing on some bushes. The very next picture, the rabbit was perched upright, its ears risen like skyscrapers as it tried to find the source of a noise. "That's fantastic."

"I got a few more." She scrolled through many pictures of the forest, of streams, and other wildlife. Every shot warmed Tori's heart, and she couldn't help but to praise each shot. "Also, Trina says we're going to go fishing later."

"Now that sounds like fun."

Trina sat on the blanket with a cup of soup in her hand, her eyebrow arched high and a smirk played at her lips. "Really, Tori? Are you going soft?" Tori blinked twice as her sister playfully nudged you. "Every time Dad and I wanted you to go fishing with us, you said 'no, it's too boring'."

"Hey, after the week I've had, just about anything seems fun to me."

"Be careful what you say." Trina winked and Tori raised her head up a bit. "Which of us used to get whom in trouble when we were kids? Still want to follow me around?"

"I seem to remember being the one getting stuck somewhere and you having to get me out of trouble."

"Because you kept trying to show me up and do what I was doing." Tori blushed and started laughing. She knew Trina was right, it wasn't hard to forget the number of times she tried to impress her older sister by hopping on rocks over a flowing creek or trying to climb a big rock wall only to not be able to get back down.

"You always were the natural, Trina, always."

"Not always. I was just the older sibling." Tori spooned up some of her soup, gazing down at it as her sister's words wrapped around her brain. She never thought Trina saw herself as just the older sibling. At the same time, when they were teenagers and even before then, Tori always got a lot of special treatment. She saw that now.

"Hey Rachel?" Rachel looked up to Tori, her tiny eyebrows lifting upwards. "Want to go take some more pictures for a minute?" The child nodded and quickly grabbed her camera before hopping off a bit. Trina lowered her bowl into her lap and looked at Tori with a look of concern.

"Something on your mind, Tor?"

"Yeah, actually." She exhaled and closed her eyes. It needed to be discussed, the events at Hollywood Arts had been haunting her even more than Barbara. "Jason. He…died because of me." Trina frowned at her and looked away, watching the child in the distance. "If he lived, do you think things would have been different?"

"Things will always be different in a different scenario, Tori. We live with what life gives us. I find, it's always better to live your life in today as opposed to wondering how different things would be if something in the past did or did not occur…besides, those types of thoughts never change the past."

"Yeah, but-"

"If he hadn't gone back in there. You would be dead." Tori's heart sank and she looked back at her soup, gazing at the hearty chunks of chicken. "I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

"With how badly I treated you back then-"

"Tori." Trina moved her hand onto Tori's arm, causing her to look up and meet those oddly comforting brown eyes. "I love you, I always have. You're my little sister, and no matter whether we were kids, teenagers, or even now…yeah the way you treated me, treated mom and dad, it sucked. None of that mattered." Tears filled her eyes and she started to shake her head.

"But you had to have hated me."

"If I hated you, I would have let you die in that fire." She gasped, her eyes growing wide as her breathing steeled in her chest. Trina pulled her hand away with a sigh. "I asked Jason to go in and get you. I wanted to, I tried to go back in there myself, but none of them would let me."

"Oh my god…"

"Eventually Jason looked at me, he asked if I needed him to go in there." Trina closed her eyes. "I did. For the longest time I thought…" Trina looked away with a scoff, her breathing shuddering as fresh tears appeared in her own gaze. "I thought I just sacrificed my boyfriend, my fiancé, for my sister. A sister that treated me like shit, but still my sister that I loved. I gave up everything for you…and I didn't care…"

"You sent him in there? For me?"

"You may not realize it, but since we were kids, I've always looked after you. Protected you, even. You don't realize half of what I've given up for you, and I don't regret any of it. I wish things could have been different."

"What are you talking about now?"

Trina fell silent and Tori followed her gaze to the young child taking a picture of an insect crawling across a rock. "There is something I've never told you, I didn't want you to feel guilty, so Mom and I kept it quiet." Tori furrowed her brow and scoffed.

"Why on earth would you care if I felt guilty about something?"

"Because you already felt guilty over Jason dying." Trina rolled her eyes and looked back at Tori. "I was pregnant at the time, Tori." Tori's jaw dropped and she nearly let the bowl of soup fall from her hands in shock. "But I wasn't in the right mental state. I'd just lost Jason, that baby would be without a father, and without a mother that could care for her. I didn't think for a minute that I'd make a good mother, because I'd started believing all the shit everyone was telling me about how worthless I was…don't get me started on all the people that would have ridiculed me over being a young mom without a man in my life."

Carefully, Tori set her bowl on the blanket, her appetite gone. Her stomach felt like butterflies had entered into it, and her chest was starting to ache. "Oh my god." Her hands started trembling and she raised them to her face. "That day mom took you to the hospital, you were in such pain, no one told me anything."

"I was going into labor. Mom and Dad wanted me to keep her, said they would help me; but I couldn't." Trina chuckled softly and shut her eyes, but the tears still streaked her face. "The reason Dad said at the hospital when Mom died...that I was too scared to take on tough decisions? Because I decided to give my baby up for adoption. Back then, I saw no option, and truth be told, I was even afraid of how you might take it-the things you might tell your friends about me."

"Trina, no." Tori placed a hand on her chest and shook her head. "No, I would never." Trina tilted her head, her expression turning skeptical.

"Tori, you told your friends Mom and Gary were having an affair when they weren't. You mean to tell me, back then, you would not have told them I was sleeping around or something? Something that, at the time, they likely would have believed."

"I'd like to think I wouldn't lie about something like that…"

"So would I; but what's done is done." Trina took a deep breath and returned her gaze to Rachel, smiling softly. "I'm sure that my baby is with a good home, at least I'd like to hope she is. The reason the orphanage scares me so much is because of all the horror stories I've heard about children going through the system, I was always terrified she might have been one of those. Terrified she might have to live through similar experiences of neglect that I had to live with growing up."

"She might still be in a good place."

"Maybe." Trina pat Tori on the knee and started to stand up, clearing her throat. "But I don't want you blaming yourself for anything, you got that?"

"Kind of hard not to. Especially when the neglect and stuff you went through was because of me. I mean, even mom and dad seemed to pay more attention to me after Hollywood Arts."

"I'm the one that put you in Hollywood Arts. The reason I got Jade's ire early on was because I'm the one that told her, after you first started, not to mess with my little sister." Tori jerked her head back, gasping softly. "You don't realize it, but I've always looked out for you. Whether that meant forcing myself into your little group hangouts or going behind your backs to tell someone to knock off their shit. You were my little sister, and I've always done everything I could to protect you."

"You never had to."

"No, I never had to; but I wanted to."

"You gave up your baby because of me?"

"I gave her up because mentally, I wasn't in the right place. I didn't tell you at the time because you _already_ felt guilty about Jason, and I did not need you feeling extra guilty or even responsible for my giving up my child." Trina poked her chest and narrowed her eyes. "Giving up my baby was my decision and my decision alone. Not a day goes by I wish I could undo it; but that won't change what has already happened."

"I understand." It was a lot to take in, but she was glad to hear it nonetheless. It hurt like hell, but she couldn't do much about that. "Is that why you're getting along so well with Rachel?"

"She is the same age my daughter would be right now, and she even has the same toy…" Doing a double take, she looked at the open tent at the stuffed dog inside off it. "A scary coincidence, and plays on my fear that my baby would have had a horrible time of it; but I'm optimistic. She reminds me of that child I gave up, so yeah, I'm taken with her."

"Maybe you'd like to adopt?" Tori smiled a bit and saw a smile flicker on Trina's face. Her older sister turned around, giving a light chuckle.

"I don't know. I think I'd make a good mother, better now than before; but that is something that I haven't thought about."

"Rachel does need a good home. A loving caregiver that won't leave her when she screws up, and there are a lot of single parents out there. Adoption centers aren't as finicky about that as they used to be."

"We'll see. Give it some time, it's still early." Trina crossed her arms and gazed at the child with a tender expression. "Besides, you might want to adopt the girl yourself with how taken you are with her."

"I can't…"

"Why not?"

"I'm a disgraced celebrity with a bad reputation, I've got some serious mental and anxiety issues…among some past and current problems. There's no way anyone would see me fit to be a parent."

"Give it time." Trina exhaled sharply. "Go ahead and finish your soup, then we can head out to that lake. Get our minds off these depressing subjects. We're not out camping so we can focus on them, we're out here to have a good time and give a young child some memories she can hold onto for life."

Tori grinned from ear to ear and looked over just as Rachel started to make her approach. "Agreed." They still had a long day ahead of them, and didn't need all these depressing thoughts to spoil a great time.

* * *

So it comes out, there's a lot of stuff to take in. A strange coincidence indeed, perhaps no coincidence. Could be Trina doesn't want to believe that the child she gave up could be in such a horrible place in life. At least we know she'd fight if it came to it; and it's possible one or all three might suspect something. (Twelve year olds are smart, guarantee you Rachel remembers Tori's story about the picture inside that dog)


	19. Camping Trip Final Night

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 19 (Camping Trip: Final Night)

Tori was panting heavily trying to keep up with Trina and Rachel on the latest hiking trail. She understood how a child with boundless energy could climb such a steep hill; but a thirty-two year old woman that didn't seem like she did half as much exercise as in her teenage years? "Slow down, Trina, I can barely keep up."

"Can't slow down until we reach the top." Trina put one foot on a higher stone and swung her arms forward. Rachel pulled at her backpack straps and continued forward with a steady and easy pace. Meanwhile, Tori was practically crawling after them. "Keep going Tori, just think about the reward at the top."

"All this just for _fish?"_ She rolled her eyes and groaned as her sister laughed. Evidently there was a prime lake at the top of this mountain that their father always took Trina to. "I mean really."

"Just think, Tori. All those years, if you'd gone fishing with us, you wouldn't be having a problem with this climb." Tori groaned softly and looked up at her sister.

"I'd wipe the smirk off your face right now, but it's not worth it. Besides, you're carrying the buckets for the fish. Why are we cooking fish?"

"That'll be our dinner for the night."

Rachel looked over, shifting her nose up just a bit. "We're not going to eat all of them are we?" Trina shook her head and waved a bit.

"No, we'll throw most back in. We just want a small amount and only the most prime. My father used to show me how to prep them, and I want to show you." Rachel nodded, seeming to understand. Tori let out a heavy sigh and forced herself forward. "That way if you ever find yourself in the woods, you know how to survive. Basic survival skills are always important."

Tori stepped up next to her sister and tried to take a few deep breaths in order to recapture whatever air she had left. "What point do you think you'd be lost in the woods?" Trina pat her on the back and walked onwards.

"You never know."

"What? Dad was teaching you how to hunt?"

"We would go hunting on a regular basis. Yes." Tori groaned loudly and stomped after her sister. She didn't think it was possible to be so out of shape, but she'd slacked a bit on the exercise. "You're going to have to hit the gym a bit more, Tori."

"Clearly."

Reaching the top was a humongous relief, like the weight just rolled off her shoulders. She sank to her knees between Rachel and Trina, threw her up her hands and let out a triumphant scream into the air. "Has she not been camping before?" Rachel looked up at Trina, who gave a soft chuckle in reply. "I've never been camping before and that wasn't too hard."

"You're young," Tori replied, "I'm not." The harder truth was also that she'd picked up some seriously bad habits over the last few years and those habits did not work out well for her body.

She grabbed Trina's hand and let her help her to her feet. "So let's see what we have here." There was a very large lake on a mountain with cliffs rising high above it. A waterfall came from seemingly nowhere; but there were much higher mountains nearby that were attached that made what they were on seem like a small hill. A hut stood nearby, with several boats. "Is that a boat hut over there?"

"Yep, boat rentals." Trina guided them to the building and grinned at the older man inside. "Hey Bill, long time no see." The old man adjusted his glasses and his beard seemed to lift with the corners of his lips.

"Ah, Miss Vega, how long has it been? Seems like years!"

"A year or two. I brought my sister along for the ride this time."

"Okay." The man glanced at Rachel, who was standing shyly by Trina's side. "And who is this little one?" Trina took a deep breath.

"This is our new friend, we're showing her the great outdoors." Trina set her buckets down on the counter. "Was hoping to rent a boat and go out on the lake. How are they biting today?"

"Good as ever. Would you like some extra bait?"

"Gladly!"

Once on the lake, Trina was teaching them both how to set up a fishing line and lure. It seemed complex, but Tori was just as attentive as she could try to be. After the lesson about bait, they casted their lines and waited.

It was a beautiful day and they were catching fish left and right, although Tori wasn't having as much luck as she'd like. She kept getting small fish. Though, after a while the girls noticed Rachel was being strangely quiet, so they ended the fishing trip, counted the ones they had, and made their way back to camp.

Trina sat down with Rachel, who perched on a nearby stump. The child had her feet locked to the stump and was twiddling her thumbs between her knees. Her head was bent, and the wind blew her hair around her face. "What seems to be troubling you?" Trina asked. "Did you not like fishing?" Rachel looked away momentarily, pushing her lips to the side.

"I had fun, but I didn't like throwing the fish back. It felt like we were rejecting them…" Tori, watching from a nearby tree, raised a hand to her chest and felt a pang hit her heart. Trina sucked in a deep breath and looked off, giving a small nod.

It wasn't hard to see what this was about, and this was another thing that Trina was probably more able to answer. At least, in Tori's mind knowing what Trina told her earlier, Trina could likely understand a bit more.

"Don't think of it like rejection, Rachel." Rachel furrowed her brow as Trina cleared her throat. "For the fish that we threw back, they can go on to live another day." Rachel closed her knees together and lowered her chin to them, her eyes dropping to the ground below.

"So. The fish we caught and threw back, we saved?"

"Yes." Trina reached over, gently patting the child on the back. "But, I think I know what's bothering you…It isn't about the fish at all, is it?" The child shook her head.

"My real mother gave me up when I was a baby." Rachel raised her shoulders. "Did she think she was saving me?" Trina pressed her lips firmly as specks of tears started to form in her eyes.

"Maybe. Maybe she knew she couldn't provide a life for you that you deserved. Maybe she thought you would be better off in the care of parents better able to provide."

"My first parents, my adoptive daddy died and my mom became abusive." Trina's eyes closed tight. Tori's own heart began to pound, and she looked away, trying to comprehend it all. "I was six when I got put in a foster home, but they didn't want me and gave me back. I got put in another for two years, but they ignored me because they had younger children of their own. No one wanted me."

"I'm sorry. I-I know how that feeling is."

"How could you? You were raised by your real parents."

"They weren't the best." Trina dropped her hand and slowly shook her head. "I was ignored a lot, and they said some very not nice things to-and about me on occasion." Rachel's eyebrows curled together and she raised her head.

"Why? You seem so nice."

"And so do you." Trina slowly ran her hand through the child's hair. "But for some people, I guess 'nice' isn't enough. I've been let down, and when I was younger, I wasn't in a very good place emotionally or mentally. I'm sorry you were put in bad homes, because no one deserves to go through those things."

Rachel shrugged again, tilting her head to the side and looking away. "The set of foster parents I got when I was nine were okay…the mom wasn't really nice and they fought a lot; but they weren't mean to me."

"What happened?"

"I got taken away because the mom was taking bad stuff. They couldn't foster anymore."

"I am truly sorry."

"My last foster family was the worst. They would taunt us when we misbehaved, lock us in a closet for hours…They didn't really want any kids, they just wanted to look good in the community by being fosters. After that, I got put in the facility I'm in now."

Trina let out another heavy sigh and reached over, giving the child a firm hug. "That...has always been my worst fear." Rachel leaned back slowly, gazing into Trina's eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Tori took a step forward, but hesitated to speak or go any further. She waited, watching as her sister bowed her head. "Remember I said I was not in a good place when I was younger?" Rachel nodded. "I had just lost my fiancé in a fire, I don't know if you know what a fiancé is or not."

"Isn't a relationship thing?"

"Yeah, when you're going to get married, but you're not married yet. That person is your fiancé." Rachel smiled as Trina slid her fingers slowly through the child's hair. "Well, to say I was depressed is an understatement. I was pregnant…about to have a baby of my own." Rachel's eyes grew wide and she quickly wiped the tears from her face. A single sob fell from Trina's lips as she gasped and lifted her head back. "There was no way I could take care of a child in the state I was. I was hurting, badly. People who were mean at the time made me feel like I could do nothing, so I didn't think I would be a good mother at all."

"So you had to give your baby away?"

"I had no choice. I thought…I thought I was saving her life by giving her up." Rachel bowed her head and glanced to the right. "But I loved that child with all my heart, and it was the hardest decision I ever had to make. I prayed day and night that she would be given to a family that would love her, give her a better life than I had. I still think about it every day, I wish I could go back and decide otherwise; but that's the thing with the past. You can't change it, you can only learn from it and try to move forward, try to be a better person every day."

"Do you think you could take care of your baby now?"

Trina smiled through her tears and slowly nodded. "I'm in a much better state than I was all those years ago. I know I would make a good mom, I know I would be able to take care of my child."

"Have you ever…tried to find her?"

Trina pondered for a second before a rush of air fell from her lips. "Thought about it." Rachel raised her eyebrows. "But my hope is that she's in a good family, and if she is, if she's happy, then I would never want to tear her away from the parents that raised her."

"What if she wasn't?" Rachel's eyes darted back and forth. "What if she was in a bad place? What if she were like me, and not even in a family?" Trina looked uncertain, but Tori could see the answer in her eyes.

Her sister was a fighter, whether she would admit to it or not. If Trina had any inkling that the child she gave up would be in danger, she'd go to hell and back to do something. "Honestly Rachel?" Trina's eyes flickered up to Rachel's gaze and her expression grew tough. "If I thought that my daughter had a life like yours, if I knew something was wrong…I couldn't sit idly by. Because that would mean that my faith in the system was wrong, that I put my child in a situation where she would live a life of neglect and abuse." Trina's lips were parted and her body seemed to be trembling. "I couldn't live with that."

"I'm sure if that were the case, she wouldn't blame you." Trina closed her eyes. "I'm sure she would understand, you thought you were doing what was best, that you didn't know what would happen…"

"You're a very smart child, you know that?" Trina rose up, chuckling sadly. "Even if that's how she felt, it would still be hard for me to stomach."

Rachel leaned towards the right. "If you could get her back, if that was possible-"

"I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Tori looked at the bucket of fish and gently scraped away a tear on her cheek. She cleared her throat and the two girls turned her way. "So." She flashed a warm smile and motioned to the fish. "Are we going to cook these up or what? The sun's going to go down any minute now."

"Yeah," Rachel replied, "I want to learn how to cook a fish."

Trina gave the child another hug, to which Rachel hugged her back, then grabbed the bucket. "Okay. After this, we'll get the campfire going and make smores too."

The process of cutting the fish open and cleaning it out was horrifying to watch, though the child seemed entranced by it. Always curious, Tori could never quite understand why children seemed to enjoy these kinds of things.

She tried her hand at cooking the first fish, to which she did fairly well for her first try. "Tori, you've got a successful meal right there." Trina smacked her on the back and she laughed while plating the fish. Trina showed Rachel how to do hers, though the child ended up burning it a bit too much. "It's okay, you'll do better on your next one."

Overall they had three good filets for the night and were able to save the remaining for another time. Towards the end of the night, they sat around the campfire with marshmallows roasting.

Tori plated a marshmallow on top of a Hershey's chocolate piece and smashed them between two graham crackers. "And the first Smores goes to…" She looked to Rachel, who was extending her hands. With a grin, she teased the girl by putting the smores close to her mouth before placing it into Rachel's hands. "Enjoy it."

Rachel bit into the treat and marshmallow ran down her chin. "It is so good." The child's eyes were large and she was eating slowly, as if trying to savor each and every bite like it was the last. "I love it!"

"More where those come from," Trina announced, "Just need to keep roasting these marshmallows."

"I want to take a picture!" Rachel scurried to her tent and returned momentarily with her camera. Tori laughed as Trina tried to strike a pose, gazing intensely at her roasting marshmallow. Getting caught up in the moment, Tori let hers go close enough to catch fire and moved her hand in front of her lips, making a mock gasp of surprised.

Rachel snapped the picture and bounced happily. "I'm going to show this to Mr. Shapiro first thing on Monday! I hope he likes it." Trina laughed again and gazed at the child with a gentle smile. Tori looked at her sister, her heart flickering in the moment.

"I'm sure he'll love it." Trina pointed at Tori. "Your marshmallow's still on fire, dear." Tori looked down and blinked as the fire burned to the metal hook. Startled, she let out a scream and almost dropped it. Trina raised a hand to her forehead and slowly shook her head.

* * *

Well that's the camping trip, what are your thoughts on this chapter?


	20. Tough Talk

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 20 (Tough Talk)

Tori walked alongside Jade in the shopping mall downtown, silent but curious. The woman invited her for day of shopping. The invitation came at a strange time where Tori knew Jade still hadn't come around to associating with her; but she was afraid to ask about it. She was afraid to say much at all, because the last thing she wanted was a fight.

"I'd like us to be on better terms," Jade said while looking through a rack of clothes in one of the many clothing shops. There were designer brands, name brands, and even every day generic ones. "I've heard from Robbie, from Andre, and from Trina…seems you're trying to pick up some pieces." Tori smiled at her recognition of efforts. Was this how she could show Jade she was genuine? By letting the others see what was really going on under the surface?

"I'm trying. I can't say much."

Jade removed a long-sleeved blue shirt with sky blue trim at the bottom. The woman's eyes scanned the outfit, humming softly. "It's definitely a good thing you're volunteering now, giving a bit back to the community. I have to say, I'm surprised by it." Jade's eyes drifted towards her and she teased at a smirk. "Maybe you're not as selfish as you seemed."

"I never wanted to come across that way, it's just-I don't know."

"I know what it is. Same thing your sister was dealing with back in the day." Tori raised an eyebrow and thought back to the way Trina was. "She wanted everyone to like her, tried to be something she knew she wasn't. I think both of you had the same thing going on back then, though showed it a bit differently."

She had to admit, Jade had a point. "I guess." She ran her hand over her neck and looked at a few pants folded up on nearby shelves. It had always been the case with her; if someone didn't like her, she couldn't stand it. She relished all the attention she got in Hollywood Arts, and all the attention from stardom. "Never really had anyone put it like that, but yeah. I enjoyed the attention."

Jade hung the shirt back on the rack and walked with Tori to the pants. "Think you'd want to be a celebrity again?" Tori crossed her arms and glanced to the side. Her heart was pounding as she wavered between the two.

On one hand, she did like the thought of getting all that attention again; but on the other hand, it came with so many problems for her ranging from drugs to shame and loss of the people who meant the most to her-even if that last part was more on her end than anything.

"I don't know. I really can't say what I want now."

"That's honest."

It was difficult to know if she even wanted the fame anymore. Some celebrities could get drug through the mud so badly that nobody truly forgets; and she certainly wasn't wanting to be known as the next Lindsay Lohan. What made things worse for her was knowing that even if Hudson and Barbara were caught and brought to justice, there would still be people who wouldn't let her forget the way she was.

Then there were hardcore fans of celebrities. 'Team this', 'team that', which often meant fans of Hudson and Barbara might forever treat her like shit. God only knew she'd feel embarrassed if she had to have a Chris Crocker type person screaming her name like Britney Spears.

"Honestly, I think all the attention is getting to me…" She was still contemplating a full shut down of her social media accounts, but she was afraid of how Barbara could potentially spin that to make her look bad. She could see the headlines now 'V.V. shuts down accounts in a cowardly attempt to conceal her meltdown!' "I would prefer to fade away at this point."

As Jade lifted up a pair of jeans, the woman scratched her chin and turned, holding them up in front of Tori. "Trina mentioned you might need some pants." Tori raised an eyebrow and started to protest, but Jade cut her off. "She said you wore some kind of dress or skirt while camping."

"I have pants." She crossed her arms. "I have to wear pants at work, you know."

"Yeah but those get all dirty and whatnot, you need a little something more. What's your size?" Tori groaned as Jade studied her for a few minutes. "These should be fine. Let's grab a couple more."

"Jeez, what made you this way?"

Jade lowered the pants and started to smirk. "I became a mother." Tori chuckled softly and gave in, knowing she wasn't about to win the talk of how much she needed clothes against a mother. "Seriously though. Who wears a dress to go camping?"

"It was one outfit, and on the first day."

"Sure."

At the food court, Tori had shopping bags beside her chair that were full of clothing that Jade considered respectable and clean. Evidently, Trina gave Jade the idea that the clothes she managed to keep were either tooinappropriate or too messed up; and the girl wasn't that far off. After all, the majority of the clothing Tori had been able to salvage and not sell for money were old shirts and pants that were fairly worn and faded, some even had holes in them.

"Did Trina talk you into buying me clothes or something? I'm not so poor that I can't afford clothing." She cleared her throat as Jade's eyes rolled up from her food and into her gaze. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful or anything, it's just-"

"I'll stop you there." Jade sat upright and looked towards the bags on the ground. Tori's hands slid towards her on the table and a nervous chuckle drifted off her lips. "I get it. You and your sister are a lot alike, too proud to want to acknowledge when you need help and even prouder to accept it." She dropped her hands to her legs and pushed them forward, wiping the clamminess off her torn up pant "I'm going out on a limb here, this is me being me, okay? Consider it an olive branch."

Tori felt her heart skip and started to smile as she pulled some hair from her face. "Thank you," she said with a quiet voice.

"You need clothes, I'm buying you some so that you can continue to save up a little more money."

"I appreciate that. I do." She took a deep breath and watched as Jade spooned up some of the noodles in her plate. "Can I ask you something? Forgive me if I step on any toes though, I don't want to…"

Jade paused, noodles still hanging from her mouth. "That's never a good sign." Tori chuckled softly as the woman slurped up the noodles. It was amusing to see Jade still ate the same way as before, like each meal was her last. "Your daughter...Beck and Trina told me a little bit. Not much."

"I know. They told me."

"Did Trina, did she tell you not to have an abortion?" Jade leaned back, exhaling sharply while raising an eyebrow.

" _That's_ your opening question?"

"She said she helped you decide what to do, I was wondering if she influenced your decision."

"On having an abortion? No. My dad was pressing me to have one, Beck was pressing me to keep it. Trina came in and asked me what I wanted, what I felt in my heart and to do what I felt was best." Tori smiled gently and watched Jade's spoon, twirling absently in the noodles. "In my heart, I wanted to have the baby. I wanted to stay with Beck too, and he was being so accepting of it that I just couldn't see a reason to abort it. Plus, the procedure scared me, and no one I knew had gone through that."

"Ah. What about adoption?"

"That's where Trina came in." Jade paused, studying her for a few seconds. "Has Trina told you?" Tori bit her lip and nodded, in which the woman sighed with relief. "Trina told me she had a baby, that it was Jason's child. She told me how she felt about giving it up, and the things that she was afraid of…like if she made the right decision, and how agonizing that thought was for her."

"There's nothing wrong with giving up a baby for adoption. Sometimes a loving family will be able to raise it."

"Exactly." Jade tilted her head and frowned. "I got the feeling she didn't want to give it up at the time, but the circumstances made keeping it hard. She was depressed, the father was dead, and she felt so worthless at the time that she didn't think she'd be able to be a mom at all."

"We talked about it over camping, and it seemed like she still regrets giving her baby up all those years ago."

Jade closed her eyes and responded with a slow, silent nod. "She does. Every year she takes off around the time that she gave the baby up, and every year I spend time with her and we talk about how much she wishes that she had her daughter with her."

"So, when she told you about her experience giving up her child…"

"I didn't want to go through the same feelings, didn't know that I would, but I didn't want to chance it. I was happy, Beck was happy; and we were fortunate because we were together. Our parents were also willing to help us once I decided to keep her, so there was no reason to give her up."

There was a pause as Jade chewed her food. The woman was looking towards her plate, but with an absent gaze. "Okay. Question for you." Jade swallowed her bite and glanced back at Tori. "Trina mentioned having gotten a bit overpassionate when you brought up the abortion subject with her, and now you've brought it up with me. What's your angle?"

Tori shifted a bit and shrugged. "No angle, just curious."

"Yeah. Trina doesn't care for the topic for her own reasons, and I'm the same way. I've had people tell me that my life could have been better had I had an abortion." She raised her eyebrows and Jade sat upright. "Well 'different' is the phrase they use, but people like to imply that abortion is supposed to be some perfect right answer."

"I don't think so."

"I'm going to tell you something, something you can apply to life; and maybe something you'll have to learn after years of being a famous celebrity." Jade extended her utensil, pointing off at nothing in particular, her expression turned serious and her brow furrowed. "They're all wrong."

"Huh?" Feeling a bit lost, she shook her head at Jade. "Everyone has their own opinion."

"Yes, yes, and people will flaunt both that and the 'free country' phrase as an excuse to shove their opinion down your throat and disrespect you. I'm not just talking about the abortion subject here, I'm talking about _your life."_

"My life…"

"Yes. Your life. My life. Your sister's life. Beck's life." Jade set her utensil down and leaned forward, bringing her hands together before her face and tangling her fingers together. "Society will tell you how to live your life, tell you what they think you should do; and if it's not what they believe is right, they insult and ridicule."

She blinked several times and slowly nodded as she began to understand. "Okay."

"Everyone loves to meddle in the lives of others because it distracts from their own life. They don't understand that when it comes to someone making decisions about their life, the utmost important thing is that person's own happiness. What makes you happy? What do I feel is best for me, what does your sister what within her own heart? It's not about 'well you might be happier without this', it's about ' _I_ will be happier this way."

Tori started to smile, now understanding fully the matter. "I see. So, you're saying-jumping back to that last topic for a minute, that the people who might've implied you'd be better off getting an-"

"They needed to butt the hell out of my life because they didn't know whether or not I would be happy. You can't know how someone's life is going to unfold in the future, even that person themselves can't know." Jade moved her hands to her chest and chuckled. "I didn't know if I'd be happier or not by keeping my child; but I can tell you, I am very happy to have her in my life."

"That is good." Tori let her body relax and closed her eyes, sighing heavily. "I need to remember that. "I've been letting people tell me what to do for so long…"

"You've let everyone live your life through you. I remember when it wasn't always like that, when you stood your ground to that first agent who wanted to make you famous." She cocked her head to the left and looked off, trying to remember. It was a vague memory, but she did recall the man.

"Yeah, I remember he wanted me to act a certain way I didn't believe in, dress a certain manner that, at the time, my principles didn't allow." Jade smiled at her and picked up her silverware to start eating again.

"Yep, and so you turned him away."

"I did."

"But when you got famous, you allowed people to talk you into throwing your principles out the window." She grimaced, remembering how little she might dress up on stage just to act and look like a pop star. It used to be this way many years ago, but it was worse than ever now that singers had to dress scantily and look more like a porn star than a celebrity. There was no dignity anymore, and stars would use freedom of expression as an excuse to hump the fucking stage.

"You asked me why I keep asking about the subject." Tori's breath trembled and Jade lowered the spoon. "Because I had one." She closed her eyes and listened to the sound of Jade's spoon being placed on the table.

"Oh Tori…there's no shame in it. I don't want to give you the impression-"

"It wasn't my decision." She opened her eyes and shrugged. "People like to shame and ridicule the people that would talk someone _out_ of getting an abortion; but it feels like they'd like to praise the ones that talk someone into getting one."

"The reality of it is, no one has any business talking someone in or out of anything."

"If I had known that then…but all my agent at the time cared about was how it would look in the papers." She scoffed and looked away, knowing full well that she and Jade both knew who the agent in question was. "He pushed me so hard on getting one that he had me convinced it was best."

Granted, the way her life turned out, maybe it would have been best. Even still, she had put that event out of her mind for a few years. "Seeing Rachel and those kids at the facility, watching you with your kids…" Her heart started to sink as an aching feeling came over her. "Knowing how much Mom and Dad would have loved having a grandchild in their last few years-I-I wish I hadn't." Tears started to fill her eyes as her hands closed on the table, squeezing the cloth between her fingers. "I wish I kept it."

Jade pressed her lips together, looking down for several moments as a dreadful silence came over them. The woman finally stood up and walked over to her, then wrapped her arms around her in a hug. "I'm sorry, Tori." The woman pulled back and Tori looked in her eyes, her entire body shaking with anxiety. "Hudson, I'm guessing?" She nodded. "I'm so sorry."

"You don't have to…" Tori wiped her eyes and sniffled, trying to keep her nose from running. "I know you're upset with me for not being there to comfort you and all, you don't-"

"Relax. Take a few deep breaths." She did so and shut her eyes, trying to calm herself by letting her mind wander onto other subjects. She thought about the camping trip she took and a gentle smile spread across her face. " _'Was'_ , I was hurt, more by what you said to me than anything else."

"I'm sorry."

"I see that now." Jade returned to her seat. "And it really was an affair on my part. It was stupid because I was always hounding Beck about that, paranoid he'd cheat on me."

"I remember."

"He never did, always stayed true. I was _so sure_ he was cheating on me with this girl I saw him talking to at school. He told me he was just chatting, I didn't believe him and I let him know. I announced to everyone in that area just what I thought of him and of that blonde bimbo he was talking to." Tori cringed, her mind now shifting off her own issue and onto Jade's.

She saw what Jade was doing, changing the subject and providing a distraction onto another pressing issue.

Jade let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. "He showed me right then and there the homework he was helping her with. She wasn't exactly the brightest-I mean Cat, back then, looked like a genius compared to this girl."

"Oh my god!"

"She dropped out of school that weekend." Jade chuckled sorely and closed her eyes. "I still thought Beck wanted to cheat on me with other girls, and I wanted to get back at him. I went to this party with some older kids and I said to myself, 'I'm going to get sloshed, have sex with someone and rub it in Beck's face to see how he feels about it'." Tori cupped a hand over her mouth and watched as Jade's muscles tightened. "That's what I did. I sat next to this guy, he played college baseball at the time…I started flirting with him, sharing several rounds together, and we wound up in bed."

"Jade."

Jade took a deep breath, her shoulders rose and she leaned back a bit. "Well, I informed him the next morning it was just a fling and went to inform Beck. He wouldn't talk to me for weeks after that…until I found out I was pregnant."

"Does that guy ever come around?"

"From time to time. He's had to pay child support. He likes to try and weasel out of it. He's not in very good shape these days, does drugs and gets drunk primarily; so Beck and I try to avoid contact as much as possible."

"Well, I'm glad you and Beck made up…even if I wasn't there to help."

Jade smirked at her. "Don't take it the wrong way, but Beck likes to joke that you might've made things worse." Tori jolted back in surprise, her eyebrows rising. "Think about it. How many times have you successfully brought the two of us back together? You were bound to have one attempt blow up in all our faces soon enough." She laughed once, tucking some hair over her ear.

"Okay, I get it."

"But hey…" She dropped her hand to the table and Jade reached over, giving it a small pat. "If you need someone to talk to, we-all of us-are here. Keep that in mind, we don't hate you. We're getting used to you all over again." Tori smiled gently and thanked her with a nod, grateful that the tension in the air around them was finally beginning to lift even if it was only a little. "As far as the other subject? Are you okay?"

"Yes. It's hard because I let myself forget about it for so long, and now…"

"Does Trina know?"

She shook her head. "I can't tell her." She couldn't, she didn't even know how to begin to approach the subject with her. "I just can't." Jade nodded, seeming to understand.

"You'll have another chance one day, Tori. Believe me, you will; and when that time comes, I think you will make a fantastic mother."

"I don't think so. Not right now."

"No, right now you have to get your head on straight. You don't need to be thinking about relationships or children-children in the form of raising them yourself, that is." Tori chuckled again. "And speaking of children!"

"Yeah?"

"You do realize that Rachel shares the same name as the baby your sister gave up, right?" Tori froze, her eyebrow raising. "Trina says that's part of why she's so taken up with that little girl. She tells me she thinks it's a coincidence, but there are a lot of those 'scary coincidences' for her; I don't think she wants to believe there might be a chance that this child-"

"Can't be. I wouldn't want to think that either, Jade, and I already accept I have problems with being both in denial and delusional."

"Yeah, well, just keep an eye out okay? I mean…same name, same age, same toy-your sister is a very smart woman; but even she's letting herself go into denial, and she hasn't done that in a long time. It's because the possibility scares her. The possibility that those coincidences are more than that, and she knows that if it is more she'll feel guilty and not know what to do."

Tori moved a hand to her chest. "I'm delusional and even I know what the right thing to do in that case would be." She blinked. "I think."

"The right thing to do, if that child and Trina's child are one in the same, is to go talk to that Gloria woman."

"I'll keep an eye out. I don't think-I think it's all just coincidence; but I won't ignore it."

"Good. If she is, well, you know as well as I do your sister needs something to fight for."

* * *

A lot of stuff discussed in this chapter, and it seems even Jade is slowly starting to come around. It'll take time, but at least Tori's on the right path. Thoughts?


	21. Sing No More

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 21 (Sing No More)

She understood why Trina might be in denial or even deluding herself to thinking the child she gave up might be living happily with a family. After all, even now Tori didn't want to think her own niece could have bounced from foster home to foster home due to neglect, abuse, and just not being wanted.

With Trina's past, the possibility alone that her child could have gone through some of the same things she went through as a teenager would have to drive her insane. For now it was only suspicion, but Tori knew something had to be done if it came out as fact.

She had to ask Gloria, but she was afraid to. It wasn't easy trying to figure out what needed to be said or how the woman might react, and even still Gloria might expect to first hear from Trina. Of course, if Rachel was the baby that Trina gave up, there could be documents showing that unless Trina asked to not be known.

Even still, the possibility that she was spending time with the niece she never knew existed warmed her heart. As much as it warmed her, it also ignited a fire she'd not felt before. She wanted to help this child even more, and she wanted to help her sister more than ever; because if this was her sister's child, she wanted to give Trina something to fight for. She needed something more to live for besides work and their father, and seeing how alive she became on their camping trip was a joy.

"It says to go ahead inside," Rachel said while pointing to the sign on the glass door. She held a songbook in her hand that Tori bought for her and stayed close to her side. All the way to this place, Rachel had been asking about Trina and why she couldn't make it out today. Trina hadn't been feeling well and had to miss the occasion, but she'd be there next time.

"Alright." Tori read the page on the door. Cat ran her studio from her home and asked all students to go inside and wait in the lobby. Tori wasn't signing Rachel up for singing lessons, but wanted to see if the girl might like to give them a try. Evidently Cat never charged her students for the first two lessons unless they were planning on being a permanent student.

As she opened the door, Rachel moved close enough to her that she could feel the girl's nervous tremoring. She placed a gentle hand on the child's back and guided her inside.

The house wasn't overly extravagant, but it was one of the nicer homes she'd seen in a while. The front door opened into a narrow hallway that ran from a carpeted den area on the left and a dining area on the right. It was all open, so there weren't any doors, just walkways.

Tori walked with Rachel to the dining table and took a seat, seeing that Cat was still with someone in the den. She looked around at the wall on her right, smiling at all the photos and motivational phrases hung on the sand painted walls.

She could see into the kitchen as well and heard Rachel gasp out. The girl was seeing Robbie cooking something on the stove. He had on a blue sweater and brown pants. He looked at them with a gentle smile and waved. "Mr. Shapiro!" Rachel got up from her chair and looked at Tori in askance. "May I go talk to him?" She smiled back and gave a slight nod, hoping there wasn't anything wrong with her talking to her teacher in his home.

She remembered what they said a while ago, where taboo as it was for them to hang around Sikowitz back in the day, it was far more stringent now than ever. How they ever got away with any of it without getting Sikowitz fired was not known to her.

Rachel scurried over to Robbie, a surprisingly wide grin stretched on her face. "I didn't know you lived here. Miss Tori wants to see if I'll like singing. I don't think I will, though." Robbie laughed heartily and set down the knife he was using to cut some vegetables.

"Always try anything once, Rachel. Remember that. You never know if you'll like something or not before you do, and if you don't try, you'll miss out on something that you might enjoy."

"Yeah I guess so. I'd rather be at the lake taking pictures of the ducks though." Tori folded her arms across her stomach and shut her eyes as she stifled a chuckle. Rachel looked around the room, scratching at her chin. "Do you have any children, Mr. Shapiro? I thought you did." Robbie shook his head and Tori raised an eyebrow at him

"Not yet, but in time I'm sure we will."

"You should adopt, there's a lot of kids at my facility that need a good home. You're a great teacher, I'm sure you and Mrs. Shapiro would make good parents."

Tori watched Cat walk into the room and lean her shoulder against the wall. The woman's lips curled upwards. "Might not be a bad idea." Rachel flinched and looked over her shoulder, gazing up at the woman. Cat pushed herself from the wall and knelt down. "Are you ready for your first lesson, Rachel?"

"I guess." Rachel shrugged and grabbed her book off the table. "If I'm honest, Tori bought me the book but I didn't really practice the songs. I kept getting distracted." Rachel dragged her foot across the floor and her shoulders rose. "I tried once or twice, but the kids told me I was horrible and stupid for trying."

Tori froze, her heart screeching to a halt as Robbie looked her way with a furrowed brow. "Oh no," she whispered. Her hands rose to her forehead and face, and she let out a heavy sigh.

Cat continued to look into the child's eyes, beckoning her attention, and she reached for Rachel's shoulder. "You've not learned anything yet, so those kids don't know. Don't let them get to you, you focus on yourself and what you want. Okay?" Rachel started to smile and replied with a silent nod. "Now if you give it a shot and decide you don't like it and don't want to continue, that is perfectly fine. That is your decision. If you decide you like it and want to keep trying, let that be your decision as well; because your voice _will_ improve and get better with practice no matter what anybody tells you. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Great!" Cat stood up and waved her into the den. "Let's get started then. I just want to hear your voice and go over the basics. I don't expect you to have anything memorized at this point."

"Okay."

As they moved into the den, Robbie sat at the dining table beside Tori. He took a deep breath and waited as she glanced sideways to him. "You seem troubled." She leaned back, positioning herself upright.

"That's an understatement. I feel horrible hearing that just now…"

"You think that's Trina's kid?"

Tori rolled her eyes and turned her head to him, her hair flying over her shoulder. "Man word travels fast with you guys!" Robbie smirked at her and shrugged.

"We've always been a close group. Unless someone says keep it to yourself, we all usually know what's going on. Jade told us already about all the resemblances between Rachel and the baby your sister gave up, and she mentioned talking to you about it as well."

"Yeah." She sunk a bit in her chair and focused on the den, listening as Cat had Rachel try to vocalize. "So you must know how I feel if that child in there is Trina's. Maybe not as bad as Trina, but still…knowing that she could be picked on…I would hate to see history repeat in Trina's daughter."

"If that kid is her daughter, it likely already has."

"You're a smart-ass. When did that happen?" She folded her hands over her raised knee and Robbie laughed.

"I don't know. Maybe college, maybe after I got married and wised up."

Listening still to Rachel, it didn't seem like she was doing too well nor did it seem she was into it. "Singing might not be her thing." She shrugged. "That'll be okay if it's not, she's talented in other areas."

"She is. Just like your sister, and it's great she's able to explore her options now."

"Yeah…" Tori crossed her arms and hummed softly. "So, no kids? I would have thought for sure you two had a child or two by now." Robbie leaned forward, sighing heavily.

"Unfortunately I'm sterile." Tori frowned as he scratched behind his neck. "We've talked about adoption in the past, but we're just not there yet. I know everyone's so shocked apparently, because of all of us, we're the ones without kids."

"Well…I don't have any children." Robbie chuckled as she jerked her thumb over her shoulder. "And my sister technically doesn't have any either. Technically."

"Oh she does." He looked to the den. "She's just not raising her yet."

"Again. You are such a smart-ass."

After the lesson she decided to go ahead and take Rachel to the park, having remembered what the girl said earlier. As they drove, Rachel watched the scenery passing by them. "What did you think about the singing lessons?" The child looked back and the corner of lip sunk into her cheek. Her nose scrunched and her shoulders lifted up.

"I don't really like singing very much, I think. I mean, it's okay, but I don't think I want to do the lessons." Tori smiled gently and nodded a bit.

"Perfectly understandable." Tori thought for a minute about other things she could get Rachel to see and remembered that the opening night of Beck's play was tonight. "How would you like to see a play tonight?" Rachel's eyebrows rose up with intrigue. "One of my friends is a theatre teacher at another school, he's doing a play tonight."

"Sounds okay, I might like to see a school play."

"Great! I'll call Gloria and let her know."

Later that evening, it seemed the school play was drawing a large crowd. Beck stood by the auditorium doors looking stiff and anxious, but there was a glimmer of pride in his eyes as he stood between the art and music teacher

Trina made it out and was sitting on the other side of Rachel. She looked a bit nervous as well, but it seemed something else was on her mind as the child got up and talked to Jade's children. A surprising sight for a girl who, just a few months ago, was so shy and stayed away from other kids.

"How did the voice lessons go today?" Trina asked, her eyes never straying from the child. Tori leaned back slowly and raised a coffee thermos to her lips.

"It went okay. She doesn't care for it though, so I let Cat know we were going to go ahead and opt out."

"Aw the famous singer doesn't want to make her protégé go the singing route?" Trina teased her with a smirk and nudged her playfully. Tori leaned away, laughing a bit. "I guess it's a good thing though, our little group has too many singers and musicians in it." She stuck her tongue out and Tori released a content sigh.

"Yeah, it does. Not at all what it's cracked up to be."

"No? No love for the old fame and glory?"

"No." She crossed her legs. "I can't even think about going back into the spotlight without fearing I'll run into another version of Hudson and Barbara somewhere. They certainly aren't one of a kind in that world."

"Unfortunate. You wouldn't think there'd be as many backstabbers, liars, cheats, users and whatnot in that arena."

"I don't think it was an actor or a singer that coined the phrase 'honesty is the best policy'. No one from Hollywood, anyway." She laughed bitterly and swept a strand of hair over her ear. "Reminds me of one of the few songs I liked of Hillary Duff back in the day. _Dignity_."

Trina started laughing, her eyes closed and lips curled up. "I know that song, it's so true too. But…if you don't want that life anymore, do you have any idea what you do want? I know you say you like the job you have now, but, surely you don't want to stay there the rest of your life?"

"I don't know…I still haven't figured it out."

"That's okay." Trina hugged her gently. "You don't have to be in any kind of hurry to decide on it either. For now, let's just relax, enjoy each other's company and support Beck by enjoying his play." Tori brightened up and nodded swiftly, leaning across the empty seat to set her head on Trina's shoulder.

* * *

It seems Tori has made at least one decision about the path of her life. What do you think of everything in this chapter?


	22. Time to Testify

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 22 (Time to Testify)

It was surprising that neither Hudson or Barbara had tried anything for a while, but at the same time, the couple had fallen under a lot of scrutiny. Hudson himself was arrested, though let out on bail, for the bottle of wine that he tried to spike with ecstasy. Tori had been holding her breath, looking over her shoulders for Barbara.

Perhaps it wouldn't look good on their end if she died under mysterious circumstances. Barbara had, however, taken to social media in order to harass and topple Tori, perhaps even trying to make her commit suicide. Unfortunately, Tori had trained herself to avoid looking at social media, distracting herself well.

Somehow, Barbara was avoiding jail time even though accusations had fallen on her as well. The couple were each required to lawyer up and attend the ongoing trial. Thanks to the picture Andre had of Barbara trying to use a drone to look into Tori's apartment while her husband tried to drug her with wine, they had tangible evidence of this couple attempting to victimize someone.

It was no longer the word of the girls against this huge celebrity couple.

Even Carly had been able to convince Sam to come forward as a witness, stating that she had to stop an attempted rape by Hudson and adding as well that Barbara was outside with a camera. Now, it was Tori's turn to testify, and scared as she was, she was ready.

It was rattling to sit there with all the lights and cameras on her, more so than ever before. Because of the nature of the case, the trial was high-profile. Tori wanted this to be nothing more than the last time she had to be on camera in full view of the country-or world.

"If it is too much," the judge began, "You may say as little or as much as you wish, Miss Vega." Tori held onto her breath and looked across the room at the couple seated between their lawyers. The courtroom was crowded, but staring into their eyes seemed to void the existence of anyone and everything that exited in the room.

An exhale drifted from her lips as the memories came rushing in. "I wish to give my full testimony." A murderous hate shone in Barbara's eyes as the woman slowly leaned back in her seat and crossed her fingers together on table. "You might know Barbara's brother, Dale Squires. I met the man in high school, and I didn't know it at the time, but my connection to her began there." She wanted to look at the judge, anywhere but Barbara; but willed it in herself to keep looking as though trying to break the woman down with her stare.

"He tried to turn our school upside down, and when that failed, he was fired. Years later I received a call from his sister, who threatened that I would 'regret' being responsible for her brother's firing…" The woman rolled her eyes and Hudson turned to look at her, slowly shaking his head. "I met Hudson a week after that call, but hadn't connected the dots at the time."

Her throat felt dry, so she took a sip of water and closed her eyes to avoid the stinging pulsation within them. "At the time, he took me in, told me he could make me a star. He said I 'had the looks' and made me trust him by saying he'd never let me do anything that I was uncomfortable with."

She took another deep breath and opened her eyelids partially. "Hudson filled me with a sense of meaning, a sense of belonging. He made me feel special, and naturally I fell for him. We started to see each other on a more intimate level, and that's when he revealed he was married. He told me he was going to leave her, that I was far more special and important. I wanted to be with him, and he made my career what it was."

Her body began to tremble as tears ran down her cheeks. She turned her gaze onto Trina, seated among the viewers in the pews. "One day…I found out I was pregnant." Her voice broke and Trina's eyebrows rose slowly. "It was Hudson's, and I didn't know what to do. He-He told me to get an abortion. I didn't want to do that, but he told me…told me that having a baby could break my entire career. He told me that it would look horrible in the papers if I had the baby. He kept pushing it, so I decided he was right."

Trina turned her attention towards Hudson and Barbara, her eyes narrowing as the skin on her face seemed to grow tighter.

"After that, I started getting involved in drugs. More than just the painkillers I was addicted to, but hard drugs…like cocaine. Hudson would tell me that it would relieve stress more, that it would help me relax." Tori reached for the tissues, her voice trembling harder as she tried to muster the courage to continue. "I received threats from his wife on a regular basis too. She knew about our relationship. She said she'd destroy me if I didn't stop seeing him, but I ignored her. I-I couldn't let him go."

Her breathing was rapid now, and her once dry throat now felt like it was on fire. "I began to see postings on social media-Twitter, Facebook, where she would start attacking me for being her husband's mistress." Tori wiped her tears from her cheeks and continued sweeping them away as more came down. "The car accident I had came not long after…Hudson had taken me to a party, ordered me several drinks and then said I was okay to drive. After which, he never had anything to drink."

She stiffened, recalling the accident that brought her career to a crashing halt; and the criminal charge that came with it. "He kept distracting me, rubbing his hand along my thigh and nuzzling my neck. The last thing I remember, I started kissing him…then I heard a scream. I hit someone, and that memory has never left me." She pressed her lips firmly together and shook herself again. "Barbara then took to social media, calling me a criminal and an adulteress. I was being told by agents, directors, record artists that I was not hirable and she'd instructed people to avoid me."

"Recently, Hudson came to my apartment. I thought something was strange when I noticed the bottle of wine he had was opened already, and he was trying to seduce me…saying that his wife wasn't at all important, and that he wanted to make up. My friend, Andre Harris, showed up and asked him to leave. We handed over the wine to the police, and they discovered ecstasy. All the while, Barbara had been watching from outside…The drone she'd been using was also taken by the police."

Barbara sneered while Hudson crossed his arms. They were tense, which was good. At least, it seemed they were aware the jig was up. "Andre took me to a support group and informed me, all these years later, that Dale Squires was Barbara's brother. Everything I thought I had with Hudson was a lie, everything he ever said or did for me was a set up. It wasn't just him, Barbara wanted to hurt me from the beginning"

After giving her testimony and going through the rest of the case for the day, she was glad to finally be done with it. A huge cloud had lifted from her and she felt like a free woman.

Trina hugged her tight when she saw her, almost for a full minute which Tori thought she'd never let go. "You were so brave in there, I don't think I could ever be prouder." Tori smiled gently, hugging her back. Trina leaned away, rubbing her hands on Tori's arms. "Why didn't you tell me about that abortion he made you get?"

"I didn't know how you'd react. I…I was, am, ashamed of it. After you told me your feelings on it too, I didn't want you to think badly of me."

"Oh…" Trina hugged her again. "I would never."

Andre walked behind Trina and gently placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. Trina leaned back and flashed him a warm smile. "Thank you for looking after her," Trina whispered. Andre started to nod.

"You know I'd never let anything bad happen to her."

Tori raised an eyebrow at them, watching as her sister pat his shoulder and walked off. Andre cleared his throat, grabbing her attention. "You did good up there…how are you holding up?"

"I've been better." She hugged herself and slowly rubbed her arms. "I've been worse, though." He closed his eyes and started to nod.

"Not much longer now, I'm sure."

"If they don't pay off the judge or something."

"No." Andre chuckled once. "I have my suspicion they won't be doing that. This particular judge isn't too fond of those two. So I've heard." Tori smiled and started to walk with him. "So, what are you doing next?"

"I think I'm going to go to the orphanage, put in some hours. I really need some time to just rest."

"Solid plan."

"Yeah." She looked over her shoulder. "By the way, what was that? With my sister? Just now?" He hummed curiously, his eyebrows rising.

"We have a lot of respect for each other." Her heart rose as a new suspicion warmed her. If something was brewing between them, she didn't have any arguments about it. "Go enjoy your volunteer hours, you've earned some R&R."

Within an hour she at the facility, meeting with Gloria in the front lobby. "Rachel's asleep now if you wanted to see her," Gloria said with a smile, "I saw the little darling snoozing away on her bed just half an hour ago."

"That's okay," Tori replied, "I was thinking of doing some cleaning today."

"Sure! The storage room in the back could use some maintaining." Tori looked around, curious why the building seemed so empty. Gloria followed her gaze and her smile grew. "All of the children that aren't sleeping or working on homework are in the assembly room watching a movie."

"Oh, how is it?"

"Pretty good. They're having a great time." The assembly room was large, but only had one real exit. She never liked it much, though she did like that it was so close to the front door. "I'm actually about to go in and watch it as well, though I shouldn't leave my post. You're welcome to take over if you want."

"No thank you. I think I'll tend to the dust in those back rooms." She started to walk off, but stopped, remembering that she needed to ask the woman about Rachel. "By the way, there's something I've been meaning to talk with you about."

"What is it?"

"Rachel…there are so many weird coincidences, but…" She turned around fully and inhaled sharply. "She might be my sister's daughter. I'm not sure Trina knows it yet, but…" Gloria's eyes widened and her lips fell apart.

"What draws that conclusion?"

"My sister gave a child up for adoption twelve years ago. She named that baby Rachel, after our grandmother, and gave the baby her favorite toy. A gingham dog from her childhood. If there's any chance that Rachel, our Rachel, could be that baby-"

"I would encourage your sister to come in, of course! I will check Rachel's files and see if her birth mother is listed."

"You will?" She sighed appreciatively. "Thank you so much."

"I know you and your sister both have become close to her, and Rachel has grown so close to you two as well. I would hope that the two of you would be a constant presence in her life."

"I plan on that."

She made her way to the back rooms and entered one that seemed fairly old looking. It had a table and chairs nestled against a wall, all covered with thick dust. There was an empty bookcase next to it, and several pieces of furniture and decorations stacked from the bookcase to the other wall.

"Dusty old room, check." She grabbed a duster, though missed her vacuum, and got to work. It took nearly fifteen minutes, but she cleaned off the table and chairs as well as she could.

A familiar voice jarred her and she turned to see Hudson and his wife standing in the doorway of the room. "Hello," Barbara remarked coldly, "It's been some time since we talked face to face." Tori walked backwards, her eyes growing wide as she reached for her phone. Barbara chuckled and raised her hand up. "Oh dear that won't be necessary. I won't be long, I just wanted to let Hudson come and clear the air with you." The woman looked around the room and huffed. "Dusty old room. Of course you'd find yourself here."

"Question is, what are you doing here?" She quickly hit the app to start recording the conversation just in case something happened, then pushed the phone back into her pocket. "How are you here? Why are you here?"

"We know you volunteer here, darling. We just came because we were thinking about adopting."

"Fat chance."

Barbara gasped, her hand moved to her chest. "I'm appalled that you would think so little of me! Personally, I'm offended." Tori narrowed her eyes and scanned the area. She knew all of the shortcuts, escape routes and secret passages the kids used to tunnel through the building. This room had one of those hidden away among all the debris, she just needed access to it. "Anyway, I'll leave you two _lovebirds_ to chat."

"How kind of you." She sneered at Barbara's airy laugh and turned her glare upon Hudson as the woman left the room. "What do you want?"

"To talk." His voice was grim and his face devoid of emotion. He pulled out one of the chairs and took a seat. "If you don't mind."

She backed up against the bookshelf and reached her hand around the side, trying to feel about if there was something she could use for defense. "Last time we 'talked', you tried to drug me."

"Yes." Hudson sighed. "About that, I'm sorry, that was Barbara's sick plan. I knew you weren't going to throw yourself on me or anything, so she said to drug you and start making out so she could get a few shots. She wants to destroy you, you know."

"I'm well aware." Tori growled. "I know how long your sick game has been going on."

"Do you? Do you really?" He flashed a grin. "Let me see." He began to count on his fingers, his eyes rolling towards the ceiling as he hummed. "I count twelve. Twelve women in total. It seems you're missing one, one who seems unable to talk." She growled, her mind drifting to Andre's mother. "You see dear, my wife relishes the power, the dominance. She has to be in control, to the point, she'll even sleep over her victims just to feel above them."

"What's that supposed to mean? Huh?"

"Oh you don't know." Hudson rolled his head to the right and raised an eyebrow. "You see, we started building our dream home nearly thirty years ago. We found a good luck charm, a very important charm in which Barb said would bring her power and satisfaction." A sick feeling grew in her stomach and she looked away, unable to stand the sight of him. "She buried her good luck charm directly under where she wanted our master bedroom to be."

"You're disgusting." She looked back as he started to stand up. "Why tell me that?" He removed his phone and pressed something on it. After a few seconds, a familiar sensation overcame her as a familiar song played. "What are you doing?"

The song that played was Billy Joel's _We Didn't Start the Fire_. "I guess, Tori, I tell you this because…if we don't learn from our past mistakes, then history is doomed to repeat itself."

"Hist-what?" Hudson left the room slowly as the song filled the air. She sniffed the air and tried to figure out where the feeling of déjà vu was coming from. It wasn't that the song was familiar, but the context. "History repeating itself?"

Suddenly, she heard what sounded like an explosion. The ground shook at her feet and she stumbled back, screaming as the bookshelf fell onto her.

* * *

Well, some big things here. Barbara and Hudson finally brought to court, facing criminal charges, and then that at the end there Guess you probably know what's next


	23. Winner Takes it All, Loser Has to Fall

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: So this is meant to be on the supernatural side, taking place in Trina's mind as she relives memories during her lifetime. However a spirit takes dominance as things progress, making you wonder who really is in control of what she is seeing.

* * *

Chapter 23 (Winner Takes it All, Loser Has to Fall)

Tori awoke to Billy Joel's song playing, but something wasn't right. The air around her was a bit fuzzy and she felt as if there were no floor beneath her. Opening her eyes and looking around, she was astonished to see she was not in the orphanage any longer. She was in a hospital nursery room, looking down at younger versions of her parents.

Her mother was in clear view, but her father seemed to be a bit blurred for some reason. She still knew it was him, though his face was unrecognizable. "David." Holly leaned her head on her husband's shoulder, gazing upon their firstborn. "I heard some women talking, and it got me thinking. If we have a second…we're not going to be like those parents."

"'Those', Holly?"

"Where we let the youngest become our whole world because they're the baby." David put an arm around Holly's shoulder and reached over, kissing her on the forehead while promising not to allow that. Just as a doctor walked in, her parents suddenly appeared older-and a blurry child stood at their side. Holly's face was wet with tears as the doctor approached.

"It's a miracle she survived. I'm afraid she might not live a normal childhood." David groaned softly and hugged his wife tight. "If you have another, the chances of that baby making it through childbirth are…very slim. I don't recommend having another."

"No, we're going to ensure she has everything in life." David looked at the baby in the cradle and sniffed. "Victoria." Tori tried to feel around, touching her hands to her body but unable to feel anything. She screamed out for her parents, but it appeared her pleas fell on deaf ears.

As the chorus played, the room faded away and the shores of a beach appeared. Holly stood on the beach, screaming at the top of her lungs. In the distance, a four year old child splashed in the deep end, having taken the wrong step and sunk into the shores. An older girl, one Tori instantly recognized despite the blurry appearance, dove into the waters and swam as hard as she could.

"Trina…always looking after me. Mom and Dad never meant to treat me with special care, but they wound up doing just that. They overlooked you." She closed her eyes and a stuttering breath quaked from her lips. "I'm so sorry."

"I got her! I got her!" Trina hugged Tori's waist with one arm and swam back to shore just as David dove in to meet her halfway. David grabbed Tori and swam back to dry land where Holly threw a towel around the child and held her close. Trina rose onto the beach, water dripping from her six year old body.

While the parents hugged and kissed Tori, Trina simply watched until she shrugged and dove back into the water.

Some time later, as she was nearing her teenage years, she saw herself sitting in a school classroom with her parents talking to a teacher. "I'm afraid she's not grasping the concept, I don't know that she's able to. I don't want to say it, but her grades are not reflecting the ideal that you have for her."

"No," Holly demanded, "She doesn't belong in special classes. She's a smart child. The school system just isn't teaching her right. It's not her fault you can't teach the material in a way she can learn it." The teacher started to sigh and looked down at his notes.

In the doorway, Tori saw her sister poking her head in, listening to the conversation. "This was when Trina started to convince her parents to let her into Hollywood Arts. I never understood, because she never cared about singing or acting until after that. She always pushed so hard to be something she wasn't…was it really all about me?"

A new character arrived in another abrupt change of scenery. Blurry as the rest of those living, Jade was in the midst of an argument with Trina. "I didn't spend a year trying to stay in this school so I could convince them to let my little sister in just so you can bully her, bitch!"

"Well you should have thought about that before she hit on my boyfriend."

"She didn't fucking hit on your boyfriend." Trina threw her hands up, her voice echoing in the school halls. Jade twisted away, scoffing angrily.

"She kissed him in the middle of class."

Trina jerked, taken aback, and quickly shook her head. Her voice lowered to a growl and she poked a finger at her. "Don't you dare pick on my little sister anymore, got that? You got a problem with her, you take it up with me. I won't let anyone treat her like trash."

"Oh I'm sorry the little princess is too delicate to solve her own problems." Jade turned back and a wicked grin spread across her lips. "Fine. I'll play nice with her; but in return, I'm going to kick you. How'd you like that?" Trina's face sank and she rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. You can pick on me all you fucking want, just lay off my little sister and we won't have any problems." Trina waved her hand through the air as she stormed off, grumbling under her breath. "Fucking hate this school.

Soon she found herself in Sikowitz's home during their big sleepover. Mr. Sikowitz was talking to the group and his son had just walked in. Tori was shocked that both were like Holly had been. The last she heard, Sikowitz was alive and well.

Cat walked off with Jason, who appeared to be staring right at her in the air. Jade sat beside Beck, growling as she glared at Tori. "I don't see why she gets so much special treatment," Jade remarked, "Everything's catered to her. Even Trina treats her like she's the goddamn Queen, yet she puts her down all the time."

"Leave it alone."

"I can't." Jade flicked her wrist out. "I taunt the shit out of Trina sometimes just to see if Tori will stick up for her. She doesn't. She's too caught up in her own world to give a damn about anyone else…And what has she ever done for Trina? Trina does everything for her, and gets not even a thank you."

Another scene brought Trina and Jason seated together on a park bench. It was a cold night and they were huddled together with coats. Trina's face was wet with tears and she had an angry expression on her face. "I can't win. No matter what I do, I can't win."

"I know it seems that way," Jason replied softly.

"They've babied her from birth, and even the people around her look at her like she's some fucking miracle sent from heaven." Tori winced and looked to Jason, who was listening intently. He was letting her vent, something no one had ever done for her. "Victoria, for Victory." Trina scoffed and beat her chest, crying out a bitter sob. "When am _I_ going to have a victory? When am I going to win for once? Why do I have to get the shaft while she gets the gold?"

"I know you're hurting, I know you're angry; and I know what you're saying right now-"

"Don't tell me I don't mean any of it, Jason. I've thought it constantly. I didn't have to leave my school to go into Hollywood Arts, I didn't have to try and pretend like I had talent in anything so they'd keep me there. I didn't have to do anything for her."

"And yet you did. You remember when you saved her life when she was drowning that day?" Trina looked down at the ground. "You remember when you were sitting outside my uncle's house the night she and her friends were there?"

Trina muttered something and turned her head away. "Yeah." Jason smiled at her and gently ran his hand through her hair. "I love her. She's the most important-I mean-"

"I understand. I've always been a single child, but I've seen it in my closest friends. There's a bond between siblings that just doesn't break no matter what. You care for her, and you always will."

"I just wish she could see that. Mom and Dad have always put her on a pedestal because the doctor told them she'd 'never be normal'. She's smart in her own ways, it just takes her a little longer to grasp things. I figured traditional school wasn't working because she couldn't learn through that style, but Hollywood Arts…the way they teach." She chuckled. "It was perfect for her."

"It was a good call, even if you had to fake an allergy to get your sister recognized."

Trina laughed and wiped away a tear in her eyes. "She doesn't need special treatment. She can take care of herself, even if it takes her a bit longer to figure out how. She needs help along the way, but once she gets the hang of things…once she knows what to do…"

"Once she knows what to do, there's no stopping her." Jason turned his head, his eyes burning through Tori. She was startled by it, it was the first she'd seen any of these visions notice her. "She just needs to get up and go."

"Still…" Trina exhaled. "Just once, I want a win. I want a victory. I want something to come up _me_."

"One day. You will, one day."

"Sure." Trina leaned back, her shoulders sliding down as she stared blankly at the night sky. "It's true though, she can get a lot done when she wants to. Yeah she's a bit naïve, and she has a tendency to be easily manipulated, but don't let that stop you."

The couple embraced each other as a cold wind blew across them. They became like silhouettes in the night, framed beneath a streetlight as they faded from view.

Then the fresh smell of fire taunted her nostrils and she found herself standing before Hollywood Arts, engulfed in flame. Trina stood outside, covered in soot, her hands clasped before her chest as she looked worriedly at the building.

"Where's your sister?" Holly cried as they peered on. "Oh god, where's Tori?" Tori looked around, shaken by the sight and unnerved at how quickly the flames spread. It was as though something else had occurred, just as she thought before.

She saw two people standing nearby, they were familiar as she'd seen them in the auditorium just before the blaze. One of them had come in from outside and commented on the PA system. No one could hear it inside the auditorium because the sound effects of the play were so loud.

 _"It's strange, I think someone left the radio on in the office or something."_

 _"Why?"_

 _"Because that Billy Joel song is playing. What's the one…We Didn't Start the Fire."_

Tori's heart stopped and she could feel the air swirling around her like a vortex. "No," she whispered, "God no. No, no, no." Looking amongst the crowd, her eyes scanned to see if they existed in this memory.

After searching for what felt like an eternity, she saw them. Hudson and Barbara, hidden by one of the firetrucks nearby. Hudson had an arm around his wife's shoulders while she clutched a fist at her chest. "Not today," Barbara hissed, "Not today, Bitch."

"Care to explain this one, Barb? You're a little more psycho than usual." He sighed with exasperation, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. "I mean, I get you're upset about what happened to your brother, but burning down a school full of teenagers won't get him his job back."

Jason passed the couple, his eyebrows furrowing at them. They didn't notice him emerge from the paramedic truck just behind them, having checked on his uncle. He made his way to Trina, placing an arm around her waist. "Where's Tori, has she not come out yet?"

"Of course not." Trina threw her arms down. "I'm trying desperately to go back in, but Mom and Dad won't let me."

"I'm not about to let that happen either, so don't get any ideas."

Trina whirled around. "I need this, Jason. I can't lose my sister." Jason frowned and looked around the crowd. No one was guarding the entrance. He took a deep breath and studied the frantic expression on Trina's face and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"I can get in there. I can go find her and get her out. Do you want me to? I'll just sneak on in, grab Tori and come out." Trina held her breath and Tori screamed out.

"No, don't do it. You'll die, Jason!" Tears ran down her face as she watched her sister approve of her fiancé's actions. "Please no. Please, god I'm not that important. I never was. It's not all about me. You're going to die. Trina's going…" Jason looked over his shoulder, a serious expression glaring back at her.

"Oh. You…You're not doing this for me." She looked at Trina. "You're doing this for her. You're…trying to give her a win…"

Inside, it was the same scene that haunted her; yet something was different. They seemed frozen in time, Jason telling her to flee as he lay bleeding at her feet. This memory used to bother her so much, but now filled her with such an odd sense of empowerment.

Watching her blurred self run from the blaze, she saw Jason's head rise. His hoarse voice was gone and his eyes pierced through her soul. "Get up. Get out." Billy Joel's song was coming to a close, yet remaining a dominant force in her mind.

It changed again, this time she was on the beach but the memory wasn't hers. It was far more somber, the midst of a storm with the wind churning. Trina stood at the edge of the waters, her face blank and eyes filled with pain. In her hands she gripped a flower, wilting and with its rose petals dropping off.

"Jason…Tori…and my little Rachel." Trina bowed her head and choked back a sob. "It's taking everything in me. I'm glad Tori's made it big. I'm glad she seems happy. But without her. Without you."

Tears fell from Trina's chin, shielded by the rain that drenched her long black dress. "Cat always said singing makes the pain easier. Taught me to sing, to improve my voice, but I hate it. I can sing my feelings all I want, it doesn't change a thing. All it does is remind me…I have nothing."

Trina turned her head, a weak whimper fell from her lips. "There is a song that stuck with me, strange as it is. I learned it from a movie long ago, and I looked up the actual band. I suppose it's fitting, at least from the first verse."

The woman's breath trembled as she whispered the first lyrics, which Tori instantly recognized. She'd done a cover of this song herself once. _"I don't want to talk about the things we've gone through, though it's hurting me, now it's just history."_ Trina raised her head, sucking in a deep breath as she tried to utter the words as though speaking them to someone.

Jason seemed to stand on the water in the distance, watching Trina as the waves and storm engulfed him.

 _"I've played all my cards, and that's what you've done too. Nothing more to say, no more ace to play…The winner takes it all, the loser standing small, beside the victory that's her destiny. I was in your arms, thinking I belonged there. I figured it made sense, building me a fence, building me a home, thinking I'd be strong there. But I was a fool, thinking I belonged there. The gods may throw a dice, their minds as cold as ice, and someone way down here loses someone dear…. The winner takes it all, the loser has to fall. It's simple and it's plain, why should I complain?"_

Trina scoffed and turned away, shaking her head as she released the rose into the water. "No. I hate singing. I've lost everything. My love, my sister, my child." Trina dropped to her knees and fell forward, gripping the sand between her fingers. "What the hell for? Why does any of it matter? I'm not important to anyone. That's why I lost them. I wasn't good enough. I wasn't good enough for any of them, and the gods decided to take them…I can't win. I can't fucking win. Forever a shadow, forever a nobody."

Trina leaned upright, gazing into the storm. "No, I can't think like that. That's not the truth. I know better. I-I know better. I matter to someone, I have to. I…"

"You do matter." The voice was Andre's, and it startled Tori. She looked to see him standing beside a car, watching Trina with a sullen look. "We've been driving all over town. You can't be out here in this storm."

"Why not?"

"Because you could get sick."

"So? Who cares?"

He shrugged. "I do, and I know wherever she is right now, so does your sister." Trina pushed herself up and breathed out a heavy sigh. "Come on. You'll feel better over a cup of hot chocolate."

"You know I can't make it, not with the shit jobs I have right now. Working for a restaurant and a pet store."

"Yeah, but I got something in mind." He helped her to the car and started to smile. "I know a guy in charge of the auxiliary department for the school district. He can hook you up with a job, something that has some semblance of a purpose. Why not give it a shot?"

"I…suppose…"

Jason still stood on the water, staring through Tori. "Tori," he beckoned, "Get out of your head. Wake up!"

His bark jarred and terrified her, enough that the scene flashed to black. She thought she heard Barbara's voice again. _Not this time, Bitch_. Soon, that faded as well.

Seconds later, she awoke once again and raised a hand to her forehead, groaning as she felt a trickle of blood on the side of her face. "What the hell was all that?" She looked around, her vision somewhat blurry. "Wait. Hudson. Barbara."

Tori grabbed the table leg and slowly pulled herself up, taking slow and steady breaths in the process. She could feel heat coming from the other side of the door, but strangely that didn't shock her. "Shit. I'm probably blocked in too."

For a second she thought she heard her name and turned in the direction of the noise. For a moment, Jason's image flickered next to a few boxes and plastic chairs. "Right. The kids' passageway. My way out." She smirked and thought on Barbara. "You're right, Barb. Not this time…Bitch."

* * *

So there was a lot here. From the special treatment Tori seemed to receive to how Trina felt despite seeing it as her responsibility to take care of her sister. All her life, Tori's lived for herself, but it was only natural; but now she's faced with something more in the realization that it has never been about herself. Now she's got a fight to give, but what will come? What thoughts do you have?


	24. Fight the Flames

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 24 (Fight the Flames)

"I know he wasn't trying to be wise or offer advice; but Hudson got one thing right. Without learning from the past, history is doomed to repeat." Escaping through the passageway into the next room, Tori could almost smell the fire. She didn't know how bad it was yet, but there were sirens outside.

Once in the next room, she used all her strength to push a table out of her way. With a grunt, she looked to the door and ran for it. "Please don't let it be too serious. God don't let it be serious." She pushed the door open and cried out as fire flashed before her eyes. Using her arm to shield herself, she looked around. "It's serious!"

The flames were heavy, part of the upper floor had fallen and it looked like the front entrance was completely covered by beams, flames and other debris. "Shit, the firemen can't get in that way." She heard the sound of men shouting and axes striking something, so the firemen were trying to come in through that entrance.

There was one other route they likely weren't aware of, the children used it to sneak outside all the time. "The kitchen. I need to get to the-" She paused, remembering what Gloria said about the movie. Nearly everyone would be in there.

Her eyes drifted to the assembly room. The fire hadn't reached it yet, but there wasn't a lot of time. "Help!" Someone cried out. "Somebody." The voice was raspy and hoarse. Tori ran in that direction, covering her mouth with her shirt. "Please! God, please."

It was one of the volunteers, part of the stairwell had fallen on her and pinned her to the ground. Her back was on the floor and she was trying to push the weight of the railing off her. Tori knelt beside her. "I'm here." She pushed the fire out of her mind, knowing if she let it disrupt her, all would be lost. The woman writhed in pain, coughing as she struggled in vain under the weight. "Here, save your energy. Let me…"

She grabbed the edge of the rail and met the woman's frantic gaze. "Okay, on three." The woman nodded slowly, tears dripping from her eyes. "One. Two…" She used every muscle in her arms to pull the railing up. "Now!" The woman strained herself, pushing forward until the pair managed to get the railing up just enough for her to slip out. The woman swept her hands through her hair, breathing heavily as she started to hyperventilate. "What's going on?"

"It's bad. Something exploded upstairs. No one was on the upper floor, but that's where the fire started. Another fire started down here, I don't know how or why or what's going on-" Tori grabbed the woman's wrist and looked her squarely in the eyes.

"I need you to take a few deep breaths and tell me…" The woman nodded slowly, understanding as she struggled to breathe. "Are there any kids upstairs?"

"Not many. Everyone's in the assembly room, we gathered the remaining kids to do homework upstairs." Tori looked at the stairwell and saw where a little over a foot of the stairs remained attached to the wall. It was a tough shot, but likely her only shot at getting up there. "I tried to find a way down when the stairs gave out."

"Okay. I need your help, we need to get those kids out safely. Do you remember that little trapdoor in the kitchen the children like to pry open?" The woman nodded and Tori hopped backwards a bit, pointing in the direction. "The firemen can't get in through the front. Go out that door and guide the firemen through that exit."

"What about you?"

"I need to get those children. Where are they?"

"Just on the next floor. They were all lining up along the wall." Tori nodded and ran for the stairwell. She raced up without concerning herself with the flames or the stairs, knowing she had limited time. She tried to be careful, but she had to be fast.

Once on the next floor, she saw several children huddled on the ground, wrapping their arms around them. "It's Miss Vega," said one of the whimpering kids. Tori smiled broadly and waved her arm through the air.

"Come on, we need to get you out of here." She guided them slowly through the smoke, instructing them to use whatever they had to cover their mouths. Eventually they made it to the section she spotted earlier and she thought she saw Jason standing there, his back against the wall. The sight gave her an idea and she quickly instructed the children to press their backs against the wall.

"We're going to side step this section. I want you to be as careful as you can be. Watch how I do it, okay?" She swept her hair back and slowly moved sideways along the section, then crouched at the other end. One of the children walked up to the hole and then backed away fearfully. "Come on Jacob. You can do this."

"I'm scared!"

"Don't be afraid. I won't let anything bad happen to you." Jacob whimpered again and closed his eyes. After a few harrowing seconds, he started to do as she suggested. When he got close enough, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him over. Eventually, she had all of the children over safe and guided them to the kitchen. "This time, I _want_ you to go through that trap door." The kids nodded and raced to the small square shaped tile in the ground.

Tori never understood why it was there, aside from the fact that it was a part of the old business. Perhaps that was the reason, the old business was rumored to have a wine cellar somewhere.

By some miracle, the fire hadn't gotten to the kitchen yet, so that exit still worked. "Great." She took a deep breath and started to cough. After clearing her throat, she turned around. "Now, I have to get to the assembly." She saw Jason's form once again, moving like a mist through the flames. "Am I seeing things now?"

She ran forward, wincing as the fire licked her body. Jason stood at the door, staring at something running between the handles. "Seriously? They put a broom through the-shit!" She could hear pounding and screaming on the other side. The cries for help stirred the adrenaline within her. "Can't stop now."

Perhaps the smoke was making her a little oblivious, or the adrenaline was forcing her not to care about anything else. She respected the fire and the danger it posed, and she wasn't about to let fear get the best of her.

She was afraid, she was petrified. One look at the flames and she thought they might engulf her. Looking away from the broom handle, there was a moment where she did freeze up and stare at the fire; but hearing the voices behind the door drew her away from that.

"Not today, Barb. You're not getting any lives today." She leaned back, remembering a move she saw Jason and Trina perform once at a martial arts class. Raising her leg, she bent it back and narrowed her eyes at the broom handle. The reason she had to do this was due to the fact that the other end of the handle had something large forced on the end and she had no time to struggle against it.

"Come on…come on…" She breathed out, each breath growing stronger. "Come on!" She kicked forward with ferocity, screaming at the top of her lungs as her foot smashed through the stick. She grabbed the now broken handle and yanked the sticks out, tossing them behind her.

Thinking fast, she yanked open the doors to the assembly. "Let's go, let's go." She spotted Gloria first, on the ground beside the doors exhausted and sweating profusely. "Gloria!" She picked the woman up and swung an arm over her shoulder. The woman panted heavily, her eyelids fluttering.

"I tried everything I could to open those doors, dear. I was standing at the doors when I heard a song playing from the other side. When I tried to open them, I couldn't."

"It's okay, save your breath. We're getting you out." Realizing part of her clothing had torn while she was scrambling around on the stairs, she grabbed the torn piece and yanked it as hard as she could from the rest of her shirt until it was free. "Hold this up to your face, Gloria."

Gloria's trembling hand caressed the fabric. Tori wrapped her hand around the woman's and guided it towards her mouth and nose. She looked over her shoulder at the children, staff members and volunteers. "Is everyone okay? Anyone hurt?"

"No," Gloria said weakly, "Just shaken up." That was when she first noticed the firemen bursting from the kitchen. They surrounded the area, all trying to use portable extinguishers on the flames. Several ran to the blockage at the front doors and tried moving them away as much as they could.

Tori found one of the firemen as they took Gloria and guided her to the kitchen exit with the rest of the survivors. "The fire downstairs is the distraction, I think. There was an explosion upstairs." The fireman's face paled and he looked up the stairs with a tremble in his body. "You have to stop that fire too."

"Can do. Ma'am, we need to get you out."

"No. No, not until everyone's out." Tori ran to help the firemen with the front blockage, knowing it would open up a bigger exit for at least half of the people. She fought with all her might to move the debris away, her arms and hands growing bloody from scratches. The firemen that tried to pull her away were pushed back until they gave up.

Eventually the blockage was empty and the rest of the survivors made their way out the front exit. Tori rushed out last, gasping as the fresh air filled her lungs. She stumbled out and leaned over, placing her hands on her knees and panting heavily as sweat poured from her face.

When she looked back at the orphanage, she saw Jason standing at the doorway. He was looking in, his arms crossed and a stern expression graced his face. "What?" In a second the apparition was gone.

"Tori! Oh god!" Trina's voice filled her ears and she stood up to see Trina rushing her way. Her elder sister threw her arms around her, sobbing hysterically. "When we heard the news, I drove over here as fast as I could. Thank god you're safe."

"Safe. Yeah. I-I'm safe." Something didn't feel right. There was an unsettling feeling in her gut that told her she was missing something very important. "H-Hang on Trina. I'm sorry, I…something isn't right." She placed a hand on Trina's shoulder and walked forward, staring at the children all grouped together as a staff member performed a headcount. "Hey…"

The staff member stopped and looked over with a gracious smile. "Tori. If not for you…it would be worse." Tori searched the children, her heart racing faster as the unsettled feeling turned to nausea and panic.

"Rachel. Where is she? Where is Rachel?"

Then one of the kids spoke up, it was Jacob. "I saw her earlier, when the fire started. She left the rooms with the rest of us." Tori looked back at the building, fear gripping her heart as she started to think the worst. "She went back to her room, I think she said she forgot that dog."

"God." Tori paled. "God no." Trina started to approach, asking if everything was okay. Without answering, Tori shot past her. "Rachel's still in there!" She ran past the firemen, who were unable to stop her. A couple followed after her.

She groaned as the intense heat hugged her body. "Shit, why aren't the sprinklers even working?" Then it hit her, the sprinklers had never gone off. Barbara could have turned them off. She grabbed the post of the stairwell and turned to the firemen that were following her. "Someone go check the sprinklers, they might not even be on." The fireman nodded and raced off, likely knowing where to go.

Tori bolted up the stairs, jumped the gap and raced to Rachel's door. "Rachel? Rachel, are you in there?" Fire was all around her, so she wasn't sure if the doorknob would be too hot. Rather than take any chances, she raised her foot up and started kicking at the door. "I'm coming in!"

The fireman brandished his axe and helped her to break down the door enough to get inside. Once it was no longer an obstacle, Tori pushed through it and scanned the room. Rachel was huddled behind her bed, holding the stuffed dog close to her chest and burying her face into its fur.

She knelt down beside the child. "I'm here." Rachel raised her head, showing a face covered in soot and tears. "It's going to be okay." She gently took the small dog so Rachel could wrap her arms around her neck.

Carefully, she wrapped her arms around the child, placing the dog between her and Rachel. She had one hand under Rachel's back and one under her legs. "Let's get you out of here."

As she left the room, she felt another sensation. Water was falling from above. She checked the ceiling and grinned as the sprinklers rained down on the flames. The fireman from earlier that she instructed about the explosion was descending the steps with a crew of his own.

"We got it," he uttered, "We stopped the fire upstairs." He held the remnants of a small bomb in his hand, growling with annoyance. "Someone put this in a puddle of gasoline."

"Guys." Tori showed them Rachel. "Oxygen. Give it to me."

"Why don't we-"

"She's traumatized, she doesn't trust anyone else right now. I have to take her…" The men nodded and one of them gave her an oxygen mask to put over Rachel's face. She hurried to the door, making sure to avoid the fire as she carried the child out the door.

When she looked down at Rachel and the little gingham dog that nearly cost this girl her life, she saw something that startled her. Just under the front left leg was a long stitch-job, the stitching looked old and familiar-though the hole looked as though it had been opened again more recently. There was fresh stuffing stuck in the stitching.

"Oh my god." Tears filled her eyes as she got her answer, remembering the photograph she and Trina put in the dog when they were much smaller. "She must have checked."

Emerging from the fire, she scanned the area for Trina until she spotted her. Standing just next to her was a familiar ghostly apparition. Trina's hands were cupped over her mouth and her eyes were large, filled with fear.

"You're getting your win," Tori whispered, "You and Rachel both." She carried the child over and Trina slowly extended her arms. "Trina, hang on to her, would you? I think you need to hold onto her, she needs you."

"O-Okay." Trina looked down at Rachel and a tiny smile formed on her face. She tilted her head to the side and her smile grew. "You're safe now." Trina began walking towards a pair of paramedics, who immediately rushed to assist. After a moment, Rachel was put on the stretcher with her dog nestled between her body and her arm. Trina was gazing at it, her hand slightly curled under her chin.

Jason's ghostly apparition still looked over them, gazing at something nearby. Perhaps it was her intuition, but she looked in the same direction and saw Barbara and Hudson watching the fire from across the street.

"That's them." She raised her voice as loud as possible for the police and firemen to hear. "They're here, the ones that caused this!" Hudson's eyes widened and Barbara froze as all eyes turned to them. Tori whipped out her phone, now cracked but still working. "They found me here and started talking to me, I recorded our conversation."

The couple looked as though they'd seen a ghost, staring aghast at her. Granted, she did look like she'd risen from the dead. She had burns on her body, was covered in soot from head to toe, and her hair looked like something from the Bride of Frankenstein. Likely, they didn't expect her to make it out of that room.

She hit the play button on the phone, letting Hudson's voice fill the air. "Also, I think they're responsible for Hollywood Arts burning down." There was a gasp and she watched Barbara hang her head. "Because this same song that Hudson played, it also played over the loudspeaker at HA just as the fire broke out…"

The police wasted no time cuffing the couple, who were already in hot water for being caught nearby one of their victims that had been testifying against them. She would have to hand her phone over to the police, but that was no trouble.

After they were dragged off, Tori decided to wait and watch as the firemen took control of the fire. With a proud smile, she was glad to see the building stand and not suffer the same fate as Hollywood Arts.

Several were wounded, but thankfully no one perished in the flames. Her own injuries finally got to her as the adrenaline passed and she had to let the paramedics look over her. They said her burns weren't as bad as they feared, by some miracle, and at most she might have to spend a night or two at the hospital in recovery.

While they were discussing the matter, one of the firemen walked up to her with his helmet in his hands. He had a full head of silvery hair and a thick moustache, his face was grizzlied and his aged eyes were sharp and powerful. "Hey, I'm Chief Walker." Tori smiled at the Chief.

"I'm Tori Vega. Nice to meet you."

"Same." The man took a deep breath. "What you did back there, and what my men told me as well…that took guts, real guts." Tori chuckled nervously and looked over her own injuries.

"I might have thought you'd say stupidity."

Chief Walker chuckled. "A little bit. I won't lie when I say it was aggravating to have a civilian not stand down and get to safety. At the same time, we might not have contained that fire as well or saved as many lives without your help."

"I didn't think, I just acted. I don't know what it was, I just knew I needed to get them out."

"I know what it was. It was selflessness."

She did a double take, almost certain she heard him mispronounce the word. "Huh?" She'd heard _selfish_ attributed to her before, but never _selfless._ "I mean-"

"I'd like to extend an offer once you've recovered. I would see you go through academy. That heroism you displayed back there, that determination and drive is something we take pride in having on our team." Her heart skipped a beat and she looked to the building, picturing herself in full uniform.

"I-I don't know what to say."

"I hope you will consider it."

She stammered a bit, eager to jump on the opportunity. This was what felt right, nothing else felt as true as what she'd done out there today. "Of course. I'd love to! I mean, I'll have to talk to my sister about it, I don't-what am I saying? I accept!"

Finally she could do something that was worth living for, something meaningful and just.

"I admire your courage, it will be great to have you on the squad; and maybe next time you go charging into a fire, you'll have proper equipment." He winked and her face turned redder than the flames. It had been a long time since she'd been 'discovered' for anything, and this time it felt perfect.

* * *

Into the fire and out of the frying pan, a lot of lives were saved and what could have been an unspeakable tragedy prevented. And like any arson that loves watching their work burn, it would seem the power couple stood and watched maybe a minute too long. Tori got her first taste of firefighting too, and even reunited a child with their mother-technically. What do you think of everything that happened? At least Tori, and the firefighter, acknowledge some of her actions were a little on the not smart side, but she did well.


	25. Redemption Song

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 25 (Redemption Song)

A new fire lit within, Tori explained on all her social media platforms that she would be deleting her accounts and no longer associating herself with the celebrity world. Her heart was pounding as she followed through with that promise. The good thing also about all her social media was Facebook and Twitter both had improved over the years and given the user a choice of also wiping their entire history clean if they so chose.

Tori did just that, erasing all of her past posts, comments, likes and whatever else she had. Fans and followers alike were sure to be confused, but this was the way it was. She had no interest in that world any longer and didn't want to remain a part of it. Granted there were some things out there she would never truly erase; but it was her social media that mattered solely.

She was opening new accounts, however, that were going to be private. Friends and family would be the only ones she gave that out to. She'd use a different name as well, a name that was used during a childhood game she and Trina played. It was a form of the old Cops and Robbers, but they liked to don characters. She went with one that she used when she was on the robber's side.

After closing down the laptop and leaving the hospital cafeteria, Tori traversed the hallways with her head held high. She made her way to the room that Rachel was in. The child was still asleep, her ever faithful stuffed toy lay by her side. The bed was adorned with balloons, flowers and cards from the kids, staff and volunteers at the orphanage.

Trina was sitting in a chair nearby, her legs crossed and hand resting on her uppermost thigh. That hand clutched a cell phone, and Trina looked somewhere between surprised and amused. "So," Trina began, "I just got friend requested by a Lady Evangeline Burgess, the ever snooty jewel thief with 'a taste for crime'."

Tori smirked. "No way does her profile say all that." It didn't, because that was just a trait they made up during the gameplay. It was also a favorite character of hers to play in their games, so Lady Burgess, her grace, would make several appearances in the dastardly attempt to foil Chief Katherine Launcet-otherwise known as Katrina Vega. "But let me see!"

She took the phone, laughing lightly as her sister smiled at her. "Care to explain, or are you having some more mental issues?"

"You have to add me. The others aren't going to accept my friend request if you don't add me."

"Oh I'm adding you. I'll tell the others about Lady Burgess."

"I had to." She handed the phone back to Trina and sighed. "Nobody else knows that character or that name, so it's the safest bet. I don't want anyone to tie me to the celebrity world. Fame was a drug, so I'm cutting it off."

"A bit extreme, but I like it." Tori beamed with pride and turned her attention to Rachel. She could see the bottom side of the dog and exhaled softly at the newly stitched portion of the toy. "Tori?"

"Yes Trina?"

"I love you, you know that?" Her heart rose and she flashed a smile at Trina. "I'm proud of you."

"Love you too." She walked over to her sister and placed a gentle hand over Trina's. Trina leaned her head into her body and closed her eyes. "How are you feeling?"

"Scared. You have no idea the things I've been going through. If I lost you in there…"

"Strange." Her smile grew as Trina looked up to her. "I've never felt more alive." Trina laughed once and raised her head a bit. "You've got a lot to think about, I'm sure. Have you heard from the others yet?"

"I've gotten a few texts." Trina looked at Rachel with a sigh. "If they still had any doubts about you being selfish and all that, I'm sure they're glad to be wrong." While it did still hurt, she wasn't too worried about their approval of her. She was on cloud nine, and she wanted everyone to know. "I am curious. Despite the fire and everything going on, you actually look pretty good. You're almost glowing."

Tori flashed a grin and tucked her thumbs into her shirt to pull it forward a bit. "I got discovered, in a way." Trina raised her eyebrows and hummed, clearly skeptical. "By the fire chief on site." Trina's jaw dropped as Tori practically danced on the spot. "He wants me to go into the academy and join the squad."

"Oh my god." Trina shot up and grabbed Tori's hands, grinning from ear to ear. "That's great. What are you going to say? Do you even want it?" Trina's brow furrowed and Tori quickly nodded.

"I do." She took a deep breath. "Back there, I-I don't know how to explain it. Something in me just…it's like something in me woke up, Trina. I never felt surer about something, I've never felt more certain that I belonged somewhere. All those people." Tori chuckled again and pat her chest. "I helped save all those lives. Granted some of what I did was stupid, but I didn't care. Trina, I can see it now." Tori took a step back, puffed her chest out and raised her hand. "Tori Vega: Firefighter."

"It has a nice ring to it." Trina looked towards the child in the bed and a different look came over her. Tori felt a sense of serenity studying her. For the first time, she was seeing a near motherly look in her sister's eyes-one of tenderness and love. "You saved a lot of lives back there."

"Feels like the last one was the most important though." They were all important, but she understood that to an individual person there was none more important than their loved ones. "We lost one in a fire, you didn't need to lose another." Trina closed her eyes and let out a stuttering breath. "Back there, it wasn't about me. None of it was ever about me, I get that now."

"Well, if it was, you might've run out of that fire without thinking about any of the people in there."

"I'm not talking about them, Trina." Tori exhaled and leaned her head back a bit. "Or I am, but at the same time, I mean…I get it. All my life. We're just one person, the world doesn't revolve around any of us-and it shouldn't. We're a part of the whole world, we don't matter any more or any less than anyone else out there."

"That is true."

"You don't need to look after me anymore, Trina." Tori placed a hand on her sister's shoulder, giving her a slight smile as she passed her. "I will be okay, I'm not your responsibility. I never should have been. Never. I think…you have another responsibility to take on."

"Oh you do?" Trina chuckled softly and shrugged. "I guess." Trina looked around the room with a sigh. "Funny how everyone that once picked on you and stuff suddenly cares about you when you come close to death. Aside from the staff and volunteers, all these kids that sent stuff in to Rachel. Hard to say which is genuine concern and which isn't."

"Well at least one of those children let me know Rachel had gone back in after that dog."

"That dog…it's just a toy, isn't it?"

"You know it's not, and you know why, I think." Trina shut her eyes once more and bowed her head. Of course the woman knew just as well as Tori. That dog was the last thing from her real mother that she had to cling to, it meant more to her than her own life. "She's had a rough time of it. Maybe…maybe it's time for her real mom to come out of the woodwork and take her home."

"What if-what if her mother's too scared? Afraid of messing up, afraid she won't be good enough for her? What if she's afraid her daughter will despise her for leaving her?"

"Then her mother would be letting her fears control her and keep her from making the decision that would be best for her and for Rachel. At the same time, I don't think her mother would let those fears stop her now."

Fresh tears rolled down Trina's face and she let out a soft whisper. "No. She probably wouldn't, would she?" With that, she walked off, deciding to leave Trina with Rachel. She was glad to see the child was doing well, but wanted to give Trina some extra time alone with her. She placed a hand on the open door and looked over her shoulder, smiling softly as she watched her sister kneel beside the child's bed, fold her arms on top of the mattress and rest her cheek on them.

Trina slowly stretched out a hand and gently rubbed Rachel's arms, and for a moment, Tori thought she saw the child's eyes flutter.

She closed the door gently behind her and peered down the hall. Gloria's room was on the end. The woman hadn't been injured by the fire, but when she was found, she'd been in the beginning stages of a heart attack. Yet another close call.

"I'm going to go check on Gloria," she whispered to herself, "See how she's doing." Tori was surprised to see Jacob walking around the hallways, he was the one that let her know Rachel was still inside. One of the older kids as well, perhaps older than Rachel by a few months, he had short brown hair and a soft complexion. There was a kindness in his eyes as well, and Tori had never seen Rachel get picked on by him as she did the other kids.

"Hi Miss Tori." Jacob smiled at her. "I came from Gloria's room. Is Rachel okay?" She nodded and Jacob took a deep breath.

"She never talked much or came to the cafeteria to eat, but I always left a cupcake at her door." Tori chuckled softly and knelt down to his level. "I'm glad she's okay, and she's not alone right now."

"You were very brave back there." Tori looked into his eyes and pat his shoulder. "I'll be sure she hears how instrumental you were in saving her life." She winked and watched as Jacob's face turned bright red.

"Yeah, well…" He looked down and shrugged. "She doesn't deserve to be stuck in an orphanage."

"No one does. Gloria tries to get everyone home in the end." Jacob rubbed his neck and sniffed.

"We were all scared to see her taken to the hospital. She's really the best, and she's also the one that makes the decisions. I was trying to keep everyone calm outside, I'm actually the oldest kid at the place you know? I know how it feels, and though Rachel and I rarely talked, I wish she knew that I get it. Some of us do, anyway."

"I don't think she'll have to worry about that much longer." Tori stood up and poked a thumb over her shoulder. "She's asleep in there. My sister's with her at the moment. Give them about five minutes or so, then knock on the door and go ahead inside."

"I will." Jacob moved forward and turned around, waving his hand in the air. "Thanks." She waved back, her heart rising a bit more. It seemed as though Rachel would have a friend in him, if she so chose to pursue that friendship.

She paused in front of Gloria's door, peering in through the window. Gloria was sitting upright in her bed and had a laptop open in her lap. More astonishing were Cat and Robbie's presence. Putting on the best smile she could, she opened the door a bit, knocked, and poked her head inside. "Hey, can I come in?"

"Of course!" Gloria chimed. "Come on in, sweetie." Tori made her way inside and looked at the couple standing at the bed. Robbie had an arm behind Cat's shoulders, his hand resting on the shoulder opposite to him. Cat's hands were clasped in front of her lap. "You've met Mr. and Mrs. Shapiro, haven't you Tori? I think you've missed them a couple times at out facility."

Her eyebrows rose and she gasped. "What?" She moved a hand up to her chest and looked at her friends, who were giving her coy smiles. "You've been by the site?"

"We mentioned that we were thinking about adoption," Cat replied, "We've finally decided to take that step."

"We're going with one of the older children," Robbie added. "Remember when Cat babysat for a while?" Tori squinted, having almost forgotten the fact. She nodded and Robbie cleared his throat. "Cat would like to adopt a child that's closer to their teenage years."

"Absolutely nothing wrong with that," Gloria remarked, "I think couples like you are a rarity; but a rare gem indeed." The woman was typing furiously, her eyes intent on the page. Somehow, even her hair had been groomed to look professional. "They're adopting little Jacob." Tori's jaw dropped and her hands moved up to her face.

"Oh my god, that's amazing!" Tori quickly hugged them, thrilled with the news.

"He's very outgoing," Cat replied, "Which is great. We've spent some time with him during our last few visits, and we've grown fond of him." Cat seemed very happy, her body relaxed and her eyes full of eagerness. "He told us about the fire too, that he was scared, but he was the first one to cross that gap to get to you and we know he was outside trying to calm the other kids down."

"He is a very good kid, looks after Rachel from time to time apparently."

"Yes," Gloria replied, "He hasn't been at our facility long either. He's going to a good home. In fact, I'm getting a lot of calls from people who want to take our children to good homes, younger and older. Whoever said tragedy doesn't bring people together?"

"Be careful there Gloria." Tori pat the woman on the shoulder, looking concerned as Gloria turned her head up towards her and pulled her hands from the keys. "You don't want to give yourself another heart attack. Shouldn't you be resting right now, not working?"

"Bah, taking care of the kids and finding them a good home never stops, and I'm not sitting in this hospital room doing nothing. I'll go crazy with boredom."

"Boredom can be a good thing. Just don't overdo it…I'm glad to see you're okay."

"I've never felt better. I'm so glad everyone made it out of there safely." Gloria let her hands slide to the bed and exhaled. "Interestingly enough, your sister came to see me earlier." Gloria grinned from ear to ear. "Wanted to see how I was doing and also wanted to talk about Rachel."

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows and smiled as she crossed her arms. "Did she now? Did we lose in files in the fire, by the way?"

"Oh we lost some paper material; but everything's digital these days." Gloria smirked with pride and winked at her. "So no, I found Rachel's file intact, birth family and all." Tori sat on the edge of the bed, crossed her legs and folded her hands on her knees. She looked up to Cat and Robbie, who shared an intrigued look with one another.

"So what did you find?" She looked back at the older woman, who seemed to be puffing up with pride.

"Exactly what we expected to find. Trina wanted to discuss adopting her daughter, so I interviewed her here on the spot." She motioned to the chair in the room. "Of course, I've still got more work to do before we get the adoption process rolling; but I did get in touch with your father, and I know you personally."

"I can attest to her character if need be. So can Cat and Robbie here." The couple nodded in agreement.

"Fantastic! I'm letting Katrina take Rachel in as a foster while we get the adoption process rolling." Tori could have sworn she saw happy tears glistening in the woman's eyes. "With luck, Rachel will have a permanent and loving home within a few short months. And so fitting that it would be with Trina. She told me the circumstances for having given her baby up, and I understand perfectly. Sometimes, you have to do what you think is the best choice for those you love, even if you don't want to. I believe she will do a very good job raising Rachel."

"I think so too. They've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Oh of course. That little girl's been through the fire, figuratively and literally, when it comes to families; but I've never had a better feeling than I do here." Gloria cleared her throat then waved them out of the room. "Now go on, I've got more work to do here."

"Please take care of yourself, Gloria."

"I appreciate the concern." Gloria laughed. "I will be just fine dear." Despite the smile on the woman's face and the gentle eyes, she knew well enough not to annoy her any further. She quickly got up from the bed and urged the couple with them. They nodded, both giving Gloria their last few well-wishes before walking out the door with Tori.

Just as the door shut behind them, Cat removed her phone from her purse and studied it with a furrowed brow. "Hey…who is Lady Burgess?" Robbie leaned over, his eyebrow rising up while Tori simply smirked with pride.

* * *

It's far from over, but this is definitely the aftermath of tragedy. What are your thoughts here? Oh Gloria, woman really needs a break; but my aunt is a bit of an inspiration for her character. Aunt Dee helps everyone and must take part in everything XD.


	26. Rebuilding

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: I'm sorry it's been so long guys, I got caught up with work and the new video games that came out (Assassin's creed in october, Red Dead Redemption 2 in November), and life just became an obsession between those and work. So, as you can imagine, a lot of things fell by the wayside...so here you are, this and the next chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 26 (Rebuilding)

The first day of her training at the firehouse academy had finally come and Tori was already nervous enough about it. She had to request time off from her main job first, though if all went well, she would likely be giving her two weeks' notice soon.

Before it all began, however, Jade sent her a message to meet up at the café near the firehouse; and if she wasn't nervous enough already, her nerves surely increased when she saw the whole group sitting around a table outside the café. Trina wasn't present, which didn't help much. Though she'd talked to them each on various occasions, she still wasn't sure how a conversation with them all together would go.

"How's it going?" Andre asked as she took a seat at the table. His gentle smile calmed her a bit, reminding her that she didn't have to be so nervous about them. "I know there's a lot going on right now, so we thought it would be nice to pull you aside for a short break."

"Bought you some coffee," Beck remarked while pushing a cup towards her. She raised an eyebrow at it. Unsure of the offering, she reached for it and gently pulled it closer to her.

"Everything all right?" She asked. The others nodded and Tori raised the cup to her lips, closing her eyes as she took a long sip. The caramel flavor spilled over her tongue and delighted it with sweetness. She opened her eyes a bit and smiled broadly. "Salted caramel mocha, you guys remembered I liked that?"

"It was that or the caramel macchiato," Jade replied, "They didn't have the Italian Mocha here, but we know you liked that one too." She chuckled softly and set the cup down.

"Okay, so what's going on? You guys are being extra nice today."

"We've all talked to you since you've been back in town," Andre replied, "But as a group we thought maybe we should get together and chat with you." He looked to the others and cleared his throat. "A truce, I guess you'd call it. We're sorry we gave you a hard time when you first got here." She leaned her head to the side and shrugged.

"You didn't exactly have a reason not to." She understood their behavior well enough and didn't fault them for it. "Trina explained it like a million times, but yeah, I get it." She'd been so far gone that no one from her past had a reason to think she was to be trusted. "I don't blame you guys for anything." She shrugged. "I was selfish, and a bit delusional. I had no right to assume I could come back and expect everything to be the same."

"Too many things have changed for that. At least we can all just start over instead." Andre leaned back slowly, his eyes closing as a sigh rolled away from his lips. "It feels good to let the past go, though. Everyone deserves a fresh start, so I suppose that's really why we're all here."

"Even Trina," Cat said with a chuckle, "In spirit. She'd be here if not for spending the day with her daughter." She saw the theme, or so she'd call it such. Everyone was being given a second chance at life. "It's a good thing you did back there at the orphanage. Though, any anonymity you were hoping for…"

"Ended when I decided to testify against Hudson and Barbara." She took another sip of her coffee and looked off to the right a bit. "It's not the same type of fame I'm trying to get away from, and I'm sure it won't last long. It's not like I'm going to dive right back into a singing career or something."

"True." Cat leaned back, folded her arms across her chest and let out another chuckle. "Speaking of, you really helped Trina more than you realize." Tori raised an eyebrow as the others nodded. "She's too proud to admit it, but she's always wanted to search for the baby she gave up but was too scared."

"Never did think enough of herself," Jade stated, "She didn't think she had what it took to be a part of that kid's life."

Tori was glad for it at least, and still didn't regret going back into the fire for Rachel. "Trina sacrificed a lot for me, maybe more than I really know." She dipped her gaze down, remembering some of the ghostly visions she'd seen before. "I figured, maybe I'd sacrifice something for her. You know? I wasn't really thinking about it like that at the time, but…but yeah, the moment I handed Rachel to her, I felt something good." She smiled and raised up her shoulders. "I can't really explain it. It was like…like a burden being lifted almost."

Beck leaned in to Jade. "Tori _has_ been acting different lately," he joked. Tori rolled her eyes and Jade laughed.

Andre leaned forward, holding his phone just above the table and peering down at it. For a moment, Tori saw a triumphant gleam in his eyes. "I have more good news." The others waited as his gaze rolled up from his phone and a smile grew on his face. "After you gave that recording over to the police, they were able to secure a warrant to search Barbara's home…They dug under the house and found the body of a young woman buried there."

Tori's eyebrows rose and she almost shouted out in triumph. She wasn't sure if the others knew about Andre's mother or not, so she didn't want to give anything away. "Finally," Tori replied almost breathlessly, "Justice will be served and their last victim put to rest."

"Those two aren't going to see the light of day again." Andre let out a despairing sigh and shook his head. "Just wish California didn't do away with the death penalty, even life in prison is too good for those two."

Beck put an arm around his friend's shoulders and flashed a brisk smile. "Don't sweat it Andre. What really matters is they can't hurt anyone ever again. I understand where you're coming from, though. If I were in your position…yeah, I'd want to put a bullet in them too."

Tori was a bit taken aback, clearly Beck was aware of Andre's past. It didn't surprise her, the two had always been best friends, though Tori never took the time to really delve into that connection. "Strange," she said calmly while the others turned their attention to her, "I just realized something."

"What's that?"

"I never really knew that much about your personal lives. Back in high school."

"You never asked."

"I'm sorry."

"It happens." Beck crossed his arms and smirked. "As someone said earlier, none of us are like we were back then. Things change."

"They certainly have." She took a quick breath and glanced to Jade. "Hey Jade, are you still into paranormal stuff?" The recent events were still fresh on her mind, and she didn't have anyone to talk to that could really believe her. Jade took a long sip of her drink and then shook her head.

"Not as much of an interest anymore, no."

"Oh…"

"Why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering if you believe in ghosts or spirits, or maybe even guardian angels." Jade let out a chuckle and the others nodded, seeming to do so for her.

"I do actually believe in the supernatural. Can't say I've ever experienced anything paranormal though." Jade smirked. "For as much as I tried to when I was younger. Never could make contact with ghosts, spirits or even angels."

"I think I might have experienced something like that." Jade's eyebrows went up and the woman set her cup gently on the table. "During the fire, I'd been knocked unconscious. I began seeing memories, some weren't my own…some belonged to Trina, others to, well, Jason."

"You're kidding."

"I'm not." She shook her head and leaned forward, looking intensely into Jade's eyes. "I saw you and Trina fighting in the past." Jade's eyebrows furrowed and Tori leaned away. "I saw Trina contemplating suicide on a beach during the storm, where Andre found her." Andre hummed for a moment and Tori started to sigh. "Then there was something weird. Those who are still alive were blurry in my memories, but those who passed on were very visible."

"Interesting."

"Sikowitz. I-I thought he was still alive last I heard anything about him, but he appeared clear as day in those memories." Jade frowned as Beck bowed his head and let out a subtle sigh.

"He did pass recently." Beck looked up as Tori's heart began to sink. It was horrible to hear of his death now, when she would have loved to see him again. "In the end, he did see the play at the school. He looked very sick and fragile at the time and told me he wanted to see my work one more time. He left after the play, and I asked him if he wanted to see you but he said he had to go."

Hurt, but thinking little of it, she nodded respectfully and wiped away a tear straying from her gaze. "I understand. How did he die? Does anyone know?"

"The obituaries said he passed away in his sleep a few days after the play."

Jade tapped her cheek, her eyes seemed to pop. "Fascinating. It seems like you might've experienced something paranormal. Unless it was an out of body experience or these things came to you from a dream."

"Jason. I think they came from Jason." The others froze and Jade's jaw dropped open. "Because he appeared in nearly every memory, and when he did, he would look straight at me where none of the others could me. He was in the orphanage too, guiding me through the flames…he guided me to Rachel, and even stood beside Trina when I carried Rachel to her."

"Oh my god…"

"He showed me one vision of the fire at Hollywood Arts. Showed me that Hudson and Barbara were there." Jade started to tense and Beck's calm demeanor turned to horror. "Two people in that fire heard the music on the loudspeaker, the same music that Hudson played at the Orphanage."

"Someone did come forward," Andre replied while stroking his chin. Tori looked at him with bewilderment. "Police gave a statement saying a witness came forward, saying plainly that they heard the same music at Hollywood Arts moments before the fire erupted. No one could hear it in the auditorium…"

Beck was trembling, his hand raising over his mouth. "You're saying that the fire at Hollywood Arts _was_ because of them?"

"It was," Tori replied, "I believe that." He shut his eyes and after a few seconds the trembling stopped. It was like a wave of relief washed over him, the years of guilt leaving his body. "I saw in that memory, Jason just before he died, he saw them. Barbara and Hudson. They were talking about the fire, he overheard them. If he didn't rush in after me…"

"He probably would have told the police about an arsonist," Jade replied. The woman shrugged. "But then you would be dead. I think he made the right call."

"But you believe me, then? You don't think I'm crazy?"

"Well, you've said some things that you shouldn't really know…"

Andre nodded as well. "And that night on the beach." Tori looked at him, sobriety coming over her. "With your sister, she would never have told you about that night. None of us would have, out of respect for her wishes; so, there's no way you could know about it."

She smiled at him. "Thank you for being there for her, Andre." He smiled back and closed his eyes. "I can see you care a lot about her. I haven't had much chance to talk to you and I was kind of wondering-"

"Wondering what?"

"Are the two of you…is there something there? I've seen the way you guys act around each other. She _really_ likes your concerts." Andre laughed and Tori thought she could see a hint of red on his cheeks. "I know she's told me she hasn't thought about dating for a long time, but…"

"Neither of us have." Andre went quiet for a minute, his eyes glancing off to the side for a brief moment. There was a solemnness there, and something far different than she'd seen in him before. "Honestly, yeah there is. Both of us talked about it, and neither of us really have thought much about pursuing right now. Still, she gets along with my daughter and-"

Startled, she interrupted him with an abrupt question. "You have a kid?" He paused, studying her for a second before seeming to realize.

"Yeah. I was engaged in college. I have a eight year old daughter, Ophelia." He pressed his lips together firmly and closed his eyes. "Her mother passed away during childbirth." Tori gasped and reached a hand up over her mouth.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She didn't mean to bring up such a painful memory. At least she could understand why he hadn't mentioned it before. Andre was much more of a private person now than he'd ever been and wasn't likely to share such personal bits of his life unless asked. "I didn't mean to bring up any painful memories."

"It's okay." He smiled sadly and shrugged. "Trina and I share that common bond of losing someone we loved. I'd like to say we've both moved on, but neither of us wants to replace the other person."

"I don't think you'd have to worry about replacing Jason. I won't meddle; but I think it could be nice for both of you guys to go out with someone for once after so long." He chuckled again.

"Maybe one day."

"You would have my blessing, if the two of you ever did decide to date. I'd hope for the best, and I know you'd treat her right. You're a great person."

"Thank you."

Suddenly, Beck cleared his throat and reached into his pocket. "Speaking of meddling. I did a little meddling of my own." Tori looked over and raised an eyebrow as he pushed a slip of paper her way. It had a phone number written in black ink. With a smirk, she flicked her gaze to Jade.

"Jade, your husband is giving me a telephone number. Note that I am not asking for it." The others smiled as Jade started to snicker.

"Noted. Don't worry, it's not his number so I won't kill him." Everyone laughed at that, which caused Tori to join in. Beck let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.

"It's Ian's number." Tori froze, her breathing dropping to a shallow pitch. "I was talking to him and asked if he'd want to talk to you since you've been in town and were likely going to stick around." She tentatively took the slip of paper while raising her other hand to her chest. Her eyes studied the number carefully and her heart was using her hand as a drum.

"Beck, I…"

"It's just talking. He said to go ahead and give him a call whenever you like, that it would be nice to catch up. I think you should, if you'd like. I mean, he won't bite."

Jade reached over, gently patting Tori on the hand. "Not like us, anyway." A faint smile cracked on her face and she whisked the paper into her purse. "You don't have to go in expecting anything."

"What's he like now? I don't know how much of him you know since he didn't go to HA." Beck slid his hand through his hair and shrugged.

"Well I knew him." Tori's jaw dropped and he nodded at her. "I mean, not much. It wasn't like we hung out or anything, but he lived on my street and often jogged to school. I walked or rode my bike, so we'd see each other in passing most days, maybe talk about the weather."

Still shocked, her eyes were growing larger and her heart was racing like the cars in Nascar. "You _knew_ Ian?"

"Again, only in passing. You never talked about him so I didn't realize the two of you had known each other. It wasn't until you were gone that I even realized you two had a history."

"Yeah." Struggling to catch her breath, she sank a bit in her chair and grabbed her coffee cup. "A 'history'." She regretted not telling them about Ian. "The best kid in science class." She flung her hair back and shifted her gaze to the side. "Second best. Best kisser though." She chuckled nervously as her friends wagged their eyebrows at her. Flicking her finger out, her voice sharpened. "Don't tell Trina that."

"Yeah, Ian mentioned having gone on a few dates with you before you left Sherwood. Didn't say much about it." She tilted her head, now curious how such a topic even came up. Before she could ask, he had the answer ready. "When your name first came out, he only realized it was you because of his little sister listening to the new artists."

"Must've been in college by that time."

"Of course. You know, we went to the same college and still rarely ran into each other there? Only in the neighborhood, I swear!" Beck raised his hands up and laughed. "He was mowing the lawn one day while I was walking to the park, his little sister was helping with the yard work and listening to the radio. One of your songs came up and he recognized you."

"Wow. So how did the whole 'I dated her' thing come up?"

Beck shrugged. "Just like that. I didn't say anything about you while we were talking. He heard your song and told me he'd known you in Sherwood and that the two of you had begun dating before you left to Hollywood Arts. I let him know that I had been friends with you and that, of course, I was sorry I never knew to say anything before."

"Oh…"

"But like Jade said, you can give him a call and neither of you has to go in expecting anything. Just talk. I'm sure he'll be happy to catch up."

"Maybe." She glanced at her purse and a hopeful feeling came over her. She was glad she didn't have to go in with any expectations or with Ian expecting anything, at the very least it would be nice to hear from him again. "It would be nice to have another stable person around after the whole thing with Hudson and his wife."

"I'll bet." Beck winked and played at a smirk. "And this time you don't have to worry, Ian's single." Tori rolled her eyes while Jade smacked the back of Beck's head. "Sorry."

"No, I get it." She chuckled softly. "I've always had bad luck picking people. Never stuck with the good ones, always ended up with bad ones. Users. Like Danny, or Stephen, or Hudson…"

"Yep."

"I'm working on it, though. I promise." She'd enjoy hearing from Ian. She wouldn't be closed out to anything, if something were to happen down the line, but that would take time. Ian could feel the same way. Even if he didn't, if he were still a good man like he was, he'd likely still respect her wishes. "So. Are we okay? All of us?"

"I think so," Andre replied as he looked to the others. Each of them nodded their heads, lifting up Tori's heart a bit with each approval. It was nice to be accepted by them again, though she already knew they were okay with her beforehand, this just made it feel more official. "And we also wanted to ask…none of us really knew Sikowitz passed until Beck caught it in the obituaries. We all missed the funeral. Maybe you'd like to go with us to the cemetery? Pay our respects?"

"That would be wonderful."

* * *

So much here. What are your thoughts on it all?


	27. When Power Crumbles

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 27 (When Power Crumbles)

Her first day of training had been rigorous to say the least, but enjoyable. Of course, she barely made it through the physical part, so she was going to have to start working out more. A simple phone call to Trina, and her sister was happy to help with some regular exercises and strength building.

It would all be done with one step at a time though, the first thing she was having to do was go to court. She didn't have to testify again; but she wanted to be there to watch. She had to see how the trials would play out against Hudson and Barbara; and she wasn't alone in that drive. As the power couple would endure their trials, they would do so seeing all their victims amongst the pews.

On part, it was also part of the Prosecution's plan, so the grand jury could witness the victims themselves. Her gut told her something big was going down today, and she was right; to her surprise, the first witness called to the stand was none other than Dale Squires himself.

Her heart stopped dead in it's tracks as she watched the man walk slowly to the podium. Her eyes grew large and she looked to the prosecution, then back to Barbara, who was giving cruel glares to the prosecuting attorneys.

Dale placed his hand on a bible and raised his right hand as he swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Tori noted how different the man looked after all these years, no longer the once confident and proud director that turned Hollywood Arts upside down long ago. His gaze seemed weary and he had fresh stubble building on his cheeks and chin. The man's hair had grown slightly longer, almost past his jawline.

Tori couldn't help but think this was a man that lost his dignity and honor long ago, and perhaps he was here to win it back.

"I volunteer my testimony to the court," Dale said while straightening his back in the chair and holding his head up high. He made no attempts at eye contact with his sister, who looked truly horrified to see him there. "Around 2010, I attempted to make a reality documentary of the Hollywood Arts school, using my abilities as a director to take advantage of the reality and twist it into a more brutal and false reality, depicting friends against friends and a school full of chaos." His gaze dropped and he slowly shook his head. "I knew it was wrong at the time, but I did it anyway, not caring about the trouble it would cause for either the students or the school. I only wanted to further my own gain…"

He cleared his throat and looked at the attorney as the man asked a few questions. Dale answered with honesty and genuine interest before continuing his testimony. "My job was lost, and I was bitter for a little while; but ultimately I didn't blame the school or its students. I knew how my sister felt, however."

"Your sister?" The attorney turned, looking at the Defense. "And who is your sister?"

"Barbara…."

"How did your sister feel?"

"She let me know in no uncertain terms how much she hated that school for costing me my job. She would often use phrases to describe them such as 'spoiled brats' and 'egomaniacs'. Then there came a time she told me she wanted to get revenge on them for me…a few years after I'd lost my job. I'd already moved on, but she never had."

"Did she follow through with this desire?"

"I never thought much of it until the fire at Hollywood Arts." Dale closed his eyes and his lips pressed firmly together, bulging just under his nose. Tori sank a bit in her seat, feeling a world of tension growing in the air. "She told me herself at a party that she'd caused the fire."

"Why would she tell you this?"

"She was drunk, and the subject of the fire came up." He sighed heavily. "I asked her why she did it, and her words were 'for you, I did it for you'." Tori watched Barbara's face turn to rage as she stared down her most recent betrayer. Only this time, she could do nothing. "It was the last straw for me. I wanted nothing to do with her after that."

"The last straw? What does that mean, Mr. Squires?"

"She's always been like that." He opened his eyes and cleared his throat. "Manipulative, controlling, vindictive. As early as elementary school, I can recall a kid taking a juice box from her at lunch only for her to hold that kid down and force them to drink it. If someone crossed her, she would bite back ten times harder."

This time he turned to look at his sister's scowling hatred, his eyes burning into hers. "She's nothing but pure evil, filled with hate and a bitterness that came from god knows where."

"I see."

"I also would like to apologize to the students and staff of Hollywood Arts…" Dale looked into the audience, his eyes seemingly making contact with Tori's. There was a deafening silence, and for a moment all she could hear was her own shallow breathing. "For years I blamed myself. I was too scared to come forward when I found out my own sister had done the crime, and I was too scared to know what she might do if I did talk…but I am so sorry. I know my words aren't ever going to be enough; but I feel responsible." Tears welled up in his eyes and he started to shake. "It was wrong, and it led to what my sister did to all of you. All those lives…I never wanted anything like that to happen to anyone. Not because of me."

Tori held his gaze with her own, feeling a great pain in her chest as bits of her heart fell away. She heard herself whisper, _"Forgiven."_ She didn't want him to harbor any more guilt. For the moment, she saw his gaze soften, as though relieved. He couldn't control his sister's actions any more than anyone else. Barbara was responsible for herself, not him.

"I've lived with guilt for so long," Dale continued shakily, "Looking over my shoulder every minute. I cut off contact with Barbara after the Hollywood Arts fire; but every day since their screams haunted my dreams. I-I didn't know why I held on for so long after that, until recently."

"Recently?" The attorney asked. "Can you elaborate on that, Mr. Squires?"

He nodded. "When I heard about the orphanage, I suspected it might be my sister. When I heard Miss Vega was there and had proof that it was my sister-once Barbara was arrested-I had to come forward with the truth. I have to get this off my chest."

Tori saw Barbara uttering something, but couldn't quite make out what she was saying. Her own defense attorney appeared stunned for a split second before turning their head away.

The surprise did not end with Dale, however. Much to Tori's amazement, the prosecution called Hudson himself to the stand. Barbara's eyes grew wider and her jaw fell agape as Hudson walked with a powerful stride to the stand. "What is this?" Tori whispered to herself. "Maybe this is part of some plea deal."

"I acknowledge my part, my role, in everything." Hudson coughed into his hand and closed his eyes. "I was a willing participant at the very beginning, even though I didn't know the kind of woman Barbara was when I met her-how manipulative she could be. Her brother did warn me that she could be 'vindictive' when I formed a relationship with her many years ago…"

She could see how such a term might not persuade him away, since _vindictive_ could be a bit vague for the lengths Barbara could go.

Hudson clicked his tongue and turned his head away with a heavy sigh. "I did have an affair early on, and it was then that she showed her true colors. To both me, and the woman I was cheating on her with." Hudson shut his eyes tight and shook his head. "The woman found under our home. She murdered that woman in cold blood." He took a deep breath and began to shake. "She told me afterwards that she got a rush from it, that she craved the power. I-I was horrified."

Hudson's brow furrowed and he stared at his wife with certainty, as though trying not to be afraid of her. "She wanted to continue, to make a game out of it. Told me I was to date those up-and-coming actresses she didn't like, reel them in, people who insulted her-and together we would destroy their reputation. Fortunately, I was able to talk her down from outright murdering some of those women."

He shook his head slowly and clenched his fists. "I was there for the Hollywood Arts fire, I didn't know she would go that far. Like Dale said before me, I've seen a lot of malice out of her-I was there for that very first murder-but I hadn't seen her attack an entire school before."

"You were a part of that planning, were you not?"

"I was. I didn't know what to make of it when she first suggested it of course, even down to playing that goddamn song over the loudspeakers, I wasn't sure she'd actually go through with it until she set off that initial explosion." Sorrow flashed before his eyes, followed by a sense of remorse. "I watched the chaos, scared to question her after that. She was only getting worse."

"How do you mean?"

"She stood there watching those flames." He leaned forward, the skin tensed around his eyes and a long crease stretched over his forehead. "Grinning. Laughing. She was getting off on watching them burn." He froze, his skin growing pale. "I-I remember once moment during all of that. She nudged me, laughing and pointing…"

"What is it, sir?"

"A kid, maybe seventeen or eighteen years old had come running out. She fell on the ground, screaming-her entire body was engulfed in flame. Young blonde girl, wore glasses-I remember they fell off her and were the only thing not burning. " Tori felt her blood run cold, she knew this one. Courtney, Sinjin's younger sister, had been visiting to watch the play. Her brother was a crew member. She lost her life in the fire that day. "Barbara said to me, 'look, another miserable bitch burns in hell'." Tears formed at Hudson's eyes for the first time and he grit his teeth, seemingly holding back on a sob. "After that, I wanted out. I wanted to leave, but she said we were in this together. She said…she said if I tried to walk out on her, she could make everyone believe I was solely responsible for everything. She said she'd accuse me of abuse, of rape, of everything under the sun. So, I continued her games, not knowing when they were going to end." His voice began to shake as horribly as his body and he started to seethe. "Then this. The final straw. The orphanage. All those young children. I couldn't get out of it, she wouldn't let me-she wanted me to kill Miss Vega, not just knock her out. Especially after letting her in on everything; but Tori was my way out of this fucking mess."

"You knocked her unconscious, left her in that room while the fire was burning. Could you have known she'd escape?"

"I didn't know." He shrugged. "I hoped. I hoped it would be somebody else's word against Barbara's and not just my own."

For the first time in so long, Tori could hear truth in his voice. She knew he wasn't lying about this woman. Society had always given women the benefit of the doubt, painting them as the lesser criminal if there was a man and woman involved; but the truth was women could be just as powerful and masterminding as a man. In this case, certainly Barbara was the worst of the two.

With her brother's testimony, and with Hudson's, Tori was confident Barbara was in deep water.

The trial seemed to go on for eternity after his testimony, and there were many times Tori wanted to go home and be done with it all; but she hung on. When the verdict was delivered, she almost leapt up and danced for joy, and part of her wanted to break down and cry.

Barbara had received not one, not five, but multiple consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole. She was also not thrown into any of the 'nicer' California prisons, but the toughest women's prison to where the judge himself suggested that Barbara be careful as some of the inmates there might not take kindly to someone so eager to massacre orphans.

Hudson's verdict was a bit similar, he'd been sentenced to life in prison but as part of his guilty plea he would be given the possibility of parole in thirty years. Given his age, it wasn't likely he'd still be alive; but if he was, he'd be a very old man if he ever got out.

Like the world falling off her shoulders, Tori breathed a sigh of relief before falling upon her sister's shoulder outside the courthouse. It was over. Hudson and Barbara would never darken her life or harm another soul again. All that was left now was picking up the pieces and moving forward.

* * *

Some powerful testimonies, Barbara might not survive long enough to make it through one of those life sentences-tough as the prison sounds that she's going to. What do you think of the testimonies? How about the verdicts? Finally, justice has been done it seems.


	28. Go in Peace

Lessons in Humility

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Here we are. Enjoy this chapter.

* * *

Chapter 28 (Go In Peace)

"So the newest member of the station gets first bite of Jack's famous chili," said the Captain as he placed a bowl of chili before her. Tori eyed the chili hungrily, but with caution. She'd heard the others talk about how hot the chili was, and she wasn't a big fan of spicy foods like her sister was.

"I could go all day without eating something too spicy," she said with a laugh while lifting up her spoon. Her crew gathered around the table, each grinning wide while Jack stood with his hands closed at his waist. She brought a spoonful of chili towards her lips and blew on it carefully. "But I've never been one to turn down food."

She leaned back, smirking while looking at her fellow firefighters. Her eyes travelled towards the Captain. "So Mark, how are your kids?" The Captain smirked back, recognizing her game.

"They're doing well, thank you. Don't let your chili go cold."

"I wouldn't dare." She laughed. "You know, I'm still not the best cook. If you ever want me to cook for the station, you might have to help."

"We'll keep that in mind; but in the meantime, eat your chili." She nodded, her eyes drifting down to the spoon. The spoonful was probably cooled down enough to where it wouldn't be as spicy as it could be. She was aware of the many hot peppers and juices put into it. With careful precision, she raised the spoon and smelt of the food.

"Smells wonderful." She pushed the spoon through her lips and licked the food off it. She chewed the meat for a few seconds and her eyes watered a tad before she swallowed the hot bite. It tasted like fire travelling across her tongue and down her throat, leaving a trail of burnt taste buds in its wake.

It was something her sister wouldn't be able to get enough of. Still, Tori enjoyed it more than she suspected. "There's a sweetness to it too," she remarked astonishingly. "What is it?" She looked to Jack in askance and he smiled back at her.

"I added a little chocolate to give it a little bit of balance. Not much, but just enough."

"It's really good." She took another spoonful and raised it to her lips as the rest of the crew started to take their seats at the table with their own chili bowls. "Thank you for making it."

"You're welcome." Jack took a seat. "How is your sister, by the way? You said she's been pretty busy with her kid."

"She's trying. Rachel is still pretty quiet, but she seems to enjoy being around her mother."

"Sounds like she's just shy. Or nervous, perhaps." Tori responded with a nod and took another bite of chili. It would be a process, of course. Rachel loved her new home, but was understandably nervous about the new situation. After all, knowing that Trina was her actual mother was something she was still wrapping her mind around. The child had questions, but she didn't appear to resent Trina in any way.

"I think our spending time with her at the orphanage for a while really helped, actually. She'd probably be more anxious and withdrawn otherwise. The girl's doing well, she has a really good support group-my sister too." All of their friends were trying to take an active role in their lives, even bringing their children around.

Then Andre provided something else that Tori hoped would grow, a male role model who came around often enough. She didn't know the full extent of the relationship, but was grateful for how close he and Trina appeared to be.

"How about you? You ever call that guy yet?"

She perked up, her eyebrows rising. "Ian?" The others nodded and she let out a whimsical sigh. "Well yeah. Phone usually rings about three times, then goes over to the answering machine. So, I just haven't gotten ahold of him yet, been too nervous to leave a message. Don't know what I'd even say to him."

"Try 'hi'." She heard the man chuckle, but there was a wisdom to what he was saying. She smiled gently and closed her eyes.

"I think I can manage that." It didn't have to be a big deal, all she needed was to say hello and go from there. "Maybe I'll do that later."

The captain shrugged. "Why not do it right now? Might as well." She arched her eyebrow and he cleared his throat away. "How's he going to know who's calling if you don't leave a message, huh?"

"I just-"

"He's a man, he's not going to make a big deal out of an old friend calling after him, especially if he's been told by one of your friends to expect it." This was true, he probably wasn't sitting by the phone waiting for her to call. He had a life, so it wasn't something he would be worrying about of fretting over like she might do.

Those days were over, though. She was pledging herself to live life in each moment and no more worrying about every little thing or looking back over her shoulder constantly. "Okay." She set down her spoon and picked up a napkin nearby. "Okay sure." She wiped her mouth and got up to walk to the lockers. "I'll call him right now. No fear."

"You're a firefighter, you can have fears, but you can't let them get in the way."

She laughed and nodded. "So true." She pulled the phone from her locker and gripped it firmly in her hand. Biting down on her lip, she studied the screen. Her heart was pounding, and part of her prayed they would have a call before she could dial his number.

"Come on," the crew urged, "Make the call, Vega." She lifted her head and sighed as they began a chant. "Call him, call him, call him!"

"Jesus," she whispered. Hastily she dialed Ian's number, seemingly from memory, and put the phone on speaker just to prove she was actually making the call. She walked carefully over to the table. The phone grew heavier in her hand as each of her team studied her with deafening silence.

The phone rang once and she looked to the alarm bell, holding back a groan. A second ring rang out and she turned her head as the Captain filled his bowl with more chili. A third ring came and Tori sucked in a deep breath. There was a click and the voicemail picked up, she held her breath and resisted the urge to hang up.

"Hello," Ian's voicemail answered, "You've reached Ian Dennison. Unfortunately, I can't come to the phone right now, I am most likely working on papers or driving. If you're a telemarketer, I'm not interested. Please leave your name and number so I can call you back." There was a brief pause, then Tori heard her name, which caused her heart to skip. "If this is Tori, I haven't forgotten about you. I look forward to hearing from you…"

She could see the grins flashing on the faces of those around her, they wanted to hoot and holler, but they were clearly holding back.

There was a beep and her hand began to tremble. The Captain nudged her ribs and she let out a heavy grunt. "H-Hi, Ian. This is Tori," she answered almost breathlessly. "Call me when you have a chance…" After leaving her phone number, she hung up without a further word. Her voice had been quivering enough, and she felt like it would break apart if she continued talking-or if she continued to talk, she feared not being able to stop.

"There!" The captain proclaimed. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?" She shot him a glare, then a smile spread across her face. Just as she returned her phone to the locker, the alarm bells went off. With a heavy sigh, she dropped her forehead to the locker. "Well, better late than never. Let's get going."

The call wasn't for a house fire, thankfully. Tori didn't care much for those, though preferred them to whole office or business fires. She hadn't lost anyone yet, but knew to expect that there would be times where she wouldn't be able to save somebody. She was terrified of that day coming, but knew she had a good support group of seasoned firefighters there to help her through.

She loved her station crew, they treated her like family and didn't hold her back just because she was new.

Already she was able to put her personal life on hold during moments like these. When going into a burning building, or a scene where they were needed, someone had to put aside whatever was going on in their life and focus on the task at hand.

They approached the scene of a car crash on the freeway. Sirens flashed all around her, the police were forming roadblocks and the paramedics were on route to the scene. "What's the situation?" She asked while hopping out of the car and joining Captain Mark Leland.

"Multiple car pileup, about five, eleven total occupants."

Tori took in the situation, studying those nearby. There were six people sitting in the shoulder, blankets wrapped around them. This left five within the vehicles. One car, a convertible, had been totaled and was on its side. Tori's heart sank when she saw a female driver with long blonde hair, soaked in blood. The woman's pale skin was almost unrecognizable. She had a seatbelt on, but it was hard to tell if she survived the crash.

Another car nearby had damage on the back end, but a broken windshield. Its driver lay motionless about five feet in front. "No seatbelt," she whispered sadly. The Captain nodded slowly and Tori shook her head. She could smell burning gas in the air and looked around for a source while the crew went to work.

A truck had been involved in the collision and had two occupants still inside. They were unconscious. As her crew got to work pulling them out, they noted signs of life. She clicked her tongue and put her hands on her hips.

She'd always thought chances of survival in a car were greater in a truck or van as opposed to a car. As evidenced by both the driver who'd been thrown out and the woman in her convertible.

Nearby, she heard one of the occupants crying about her child. She turned her head and furrowed her brow. "My baby's still in the van," the woman wailed, "My baby!" Her eyes snapped over to the van, which had been in the middle of the entire wreckage. Her heart stopped when she saw the gas leaking and pooling around it.

Inside, a child of about six years thrashed about. "Captain!" She ran for the van and the captain turned to look. "There's a kid in the van, still." She got a better look once she was able to get closer, and noted the child was pinned between the seats. Her eyes grew wide and she looked over her shoulder, shouting at the top of her lungs. "Jaws of life! We need the jaws! He's between the seats."

"Shit." The Captain rushed to the truck and came back with the tools. Several of the crew came to aid them as they set it up. A fire was beginning to start, so Tori pushed harder and reached her arms around the young child.

 _"They said one day I would lose someone,"_ Tori thought to herself. She grit her teeth and the child draped his arms around her neck. _"Today will not be that day."_ As they continued to push the seats apart and cut away at the surrounding area, Tori pulled the child away from the wreckage.

Turning around, clutching the child close, she saw the mother standing with her hand to her chest. Her husband had a hand over his mouth, and their teenage daughter hurried forward, her arms outstretched and reaching for her little brother. Smiling from ear to ear, Tori let the girl hold her sibling before the paramedics took him.

Feeling a heavy sense of pride, Tori returned to work, helping to secure any other passengers and try to keep a control on any fires that were starting. At the end of the day, she stood by the Captain, listening to the loss of life.

It wasn't as bad as she feared. The woman in the convertible and the man who'd been thrown from his vehicle didn't survive, unfortunately. The occupants of all other vehicles did survive. The young child she pulled from the wreckage had a crushed leg, but he would survive.

"Great work out there today." The Captain pat her on the shoulder and smiled as she made eye contact with him.

"Thank you, Captain."

"Go home, get some rest, and we'll see you back tomorrow."

"Same great time, same great place." She chuckled for a moment and gave a quick nod.

Before heading home, she joined her friends at the cemetery nearby. They wanted to wait for all the drama to die down before coming out. They moved in silence through the rows of headstones until stopping before a polished white gravestone with fresh words written on it.

 _Erwin Sikowitz_

Beside his grave was another, slightly older and worn, but the lettering still strong and vibrant as ever.

 _Jason Tyler_

Jade wrapped her arm around Beck's waist and set her head on his shoulder. Robbie and Cat stood, their hands clasped together in front of their waist. They all stood to Tori's left. Andre stood to her right, studying the graves with sobriety.

Trina was there, her eyes misty as she cupped a hand over her mouth and closed her gaze. She stood on the other side of Andre and he reached up to rub her back. Rachel knelt before the graves, placing a rose on each.

The child studied the grave of her father, her fingers caressing the words slowly.

For a moment, Tori thought she saw them. Mr. Sikowitz and Jason, standing with their arms around the other's shoulders, gazing down with pride at all of them. Tears fell from her eyes as she looked to them, believing she was seeing a pair of angels ready to ascend to the heavens together.

Not so far away, Tori spotted another person standing before a grave. He was a familiar face, an old friend. Sinjin. He was balding, he had a handlebar moustache and goatee. He wore a biker jacket and long black jeans. Near him was a Harley motorcycle. He looked as though he'd aged a considerable amount, his face weary from exhaustion. As far as she knew, he lived many states away.

It was the end of an era for him as well. Like so many, alive and deceased. She gently nudged Cat and whispered while motioning towards him. "He's visiting Courtney…" Cat nodded silently.

"I kept his facebook. He's travelled through all the states, but never came back to California or LA since the fire…" She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, remembering what Courtney's greatest wish had been.

Courtney was, like Ian, one of her friends from Sherwood. She practically grew up with the girl. She was always talking about how before she died, she wanted to travel through all fifty states, to see every landmark and historic site that there was to see.

"He was fulfilling her last dream…Came back for the trial, laid her to rest." She glanced back to the graves near them. "Like we're doing." She knelt down beside Rachel, who looked up at her for a few seconds before leaning against her.

Gazing at Jason's grave, she whispered softly. "They'll be okay. I'll look after them now, you can rest." Trina could rest as well. Tori knew how much that girl sacrificed for her, trying to be her own guardian angel from childhood and onward; now she had someone else to look after. "Goodbye Jason." She placed a flower beside Rachel's and gingerly caressed the side of Jason's grave. "Go in peace with your uncle, he's been holding on long enough. We'll all be okay…"

They stayed for another hour almost before driving off their separate ways. Tori didn't know what lay ahead for her, but she was glad to feel for the first time that good things were on the horizon for her.

Once she made it home, she changed into her evening wear and removed a TV dinner from the freezer. She put it in the microwave, then turned towards her sink to wash her hands. After a minute, she placed her hands down on the countertop on each side of the sink and gazed out at the rest of her apartment.

Taking a deep breath, she looked at a mirror she hung on the wall in the living area. This time, she saw her own reflection looking back, not appearing any different than she did in that moment. With a confident smile she drew out an exhale. She knew exactly who she was, and who she wanted to be.

She was Victoria Vega: Firefighter, Aunt, and friend. Maybe one day she would be a wife and a mother, then a grandmother; but until then, she was right where she wanted to be.

The microwave beeped, so she removed the dinner, flipped the meat and put it back in for a bit longer.

While it cooked, she walked around towards her television and turned it on. The news was playing. She cocked her head to the right, studying the headline. It was about Barbara, it didn't take long for her to get beaten in the recess yard. The guards intervened while one inmate was choking the life out of her. She was alive, but barely. In critical condition.

She shrugged and changed the channel in the middle of the news story, not at all interested in it. She continued flipping through the channels, stopping only when her food was done. As she took it from the microwave, her phone began to ring. Her eyebrows rose and she looked at the phone on the countertop.

As on habit, she grabbed her phone without checking the caller ID. When she heard Ian's voice, her heart stopped. "Hey there," he said, "Been a while." She cupped her hand over her mouth, unsure of what to say. "Hey, you there?" The Captain's wise words flashed in her head and she cleared her throat.

"Hi."

Ian chuckled. Tori's cheeks flared up and she moved her hand to her forehead, embarrassed that she couldn't think of anything else.

"Hi…"

* * *

There it is, 'the final chapter. Tell me your thoughts on it all, I hope you enjoyed it. Thank you for sticking along for the tale, I appreciate it. I'm considering a sister story to this, one that focuses on what had been going on with Trina before this tale, during this tale, and afterwards. Haven't decided yet, but anyway thanks again.


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